Germany’s first LNG terminal celebrates first anniversary
Published by Jessica Casey,
Editor
LNG Industry,
Germany's first LNG terminal at the Hooksiel outer harbour near Wilhelmshaven celebrated its first anniversary on 17 December 2023. The contract was awarded to Uniper by the German government in March 2022, enabling the import of LNG via a seaside terminal in Wilhelmshaven, and was completed in record time with a construction period of nine months.
Since commissioning on 21 December 2022, the terminal has been running almost without interruption. 42 LNG carriers have so far delivered around 7 million m3 of LNG via the FSRU Höegh Esperanza. This LNG has been converted into around 4 billion m3 of natural gas and fed into the German gas grid. Around 6% of German gas consumption in 2023 could thus be covered by the LNG imported at this location. It is already certain that the capacities of the Esperanza will also be fully utilised for 2024.
Uniper´s Chief Operating Officer, Holger Kreetz, said: “We are very proud of this terminal, which we have built in ‘Deutschland-Geschwindigkeit’. Exactly one year ago, the Federal Chancellor, federal and state ministers, and hundreds of other guests opened Germany's first LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven. This year proved how much Germany needed the terminal and will continue to need it in the future. However, Uniper is also working at full steam on future green import opportunities in the form of ammonia. The region around Wilhelmshaven will be an energy hub far into the future.”
Dr Peter Röttgen, Managing Director DET, added: “The first terminal in Germany was built in Wilhelmshaven exactly one year ago and has laid the foundation for securing the energy supply for Germany and Europe. Our partner, Uniper, has done a very good job here, not only in the construction but also in the management of the facility in the first year. But this pioneering work was just the beginning. With three more LNG terminals in the German North Sea, we are also contributing to the stability of the energy system.”
The Uniper subsidiary, LNG Terminal Wilhelmshaven GmbH (LTeW), is now responsible for the operational and technical management of the terminal and acts on behalf of the federally-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), which is responsible for the operation and marketing of all LNG terminals built on the German North Sea coast on behalf of the federal government. The realisation of the LNG terminal was an important project for Uniper, even though the energy carrier LNG serves Uniper only as a transitional solution on the way to a new, carbon-neutral energy world.
Uniper is transforming its own power plants and investing in flexible power generation plants to achieve a climate-neutral energy supply in the future. In total, more than €8 billion will be invested across the Group between 2023 and 2030. At the Wilhelmshaven site and in the region, investments are being planned in projects to generate green gases and renewable energies, such as a large scale electrolysis plant on the former power plant site in Wilhelmshaven, an ammonia import terminal near the current LNG terminal as well as solar and wind power plants. These large scale projects are part of Uniper's ETHNw initiative, which also includes other electrolysis plants, renewable energy projects and hydrogen storage projects in Conneforde, Elsfleth, Etzel, Huntorf, Krummhörn and Wilhelmshaven. In addition, solar parks with a capacity of around 300 MW are to be built in Elsfleth and around 17 MW in Wilhelmshaven. The development of the sites is just as much a focus as the training of skilled workers. All projects will be of fundamental importance in making the northwest of Germany a national energy hub.
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/regasification/18122023/germanys-first-lng-terminal-celebrates-first-anniversary/
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