German LNG terminal in the Baltic Sea could operate from 2024
Berlin, 20 September (CTK correspondent) – A floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal off the German island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea could be operational from the first quarter of next year. Ulrich Benterbusch, head of Gascade, the operator of Germany’s gas transmission network, said this today at a conference organised by business daily Handelsblatt. Czechia is interested in the Baltic terminal, whose necessity is questioned by environmentalists and local municipalities, and is already connected to the region by infrastructure.
„Everything is going well; we will be able to start operations in the first quarter,“ Reuters quoted Benterbusch as saying.
He added that the port of Mukran on Rügen, where the terminal will be located, is the right transport hub for securing gas supplies to eastern Germany and southeastern Europe.
In August, Gascade received a permit to build a subsea gas pipeline between Mukran and Lubmin on the mainland. From Lubmin, where the now-inoperative German-Russian Nord Stream pipelines terminate, gas can be sent into the OPAL and NEL pipelines. The OPAL pipeline carries gas to Saxony and from there to Czechia via the Gazela pipeline. NEL connects Lubmin with Lower Saxony and the country’s main gas storage facility at Rehden.
The Mukran terminal is planned to have two floating LNG regasification units. The facility will be operated on behalf of the state by ReGas, which already operates a floating terminal in Lubmin as a purely private project.
Germany began building LNG terminals last year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The terminals have enabled the country to end its dependence on Russian gas. The federal government plans to have a total of five terminals with state involvement. So far, two facilities have been commissioned: in Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony and in Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein. Further terminals will be built in Stade and again in Wilhelmshaven. The fifth site is the aforementioned Mukran, with a connection to Lubmin.
Translation disclaimer
This article is a machine translation of the Czech original and has not yet been fully reviewed. In case of any doubt, please refer to the Czech version.
