energy
LNG terminal in Stade: planning at turbo speed
The industrial port of Stade is to be expanded for the planned import terminal for liquefied natural gas. Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The goal of independence from Russian natural gas fuels the planning for LNG terminals in Germany. What has been languishing for years is now to be implemented at record speed.
Lower Saxony wants to give gas to the approval process for the planned import terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Stade.
“It has to be quick now,” said Environment Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) on Tuesday in Stade. There he received the several thousand pages of application documents for approval to build a pier in Stade from the Minister for Economic Affairs, Bernd Althusmann (CDU).
Alternative to Russian natural gas
Lies called for a new “Germany speed” and did not rule out that the construction work for the investor could possibly begin in parallel and even before approval was obtained. According to Althusmann, the public company Niedersachsen Ports will provide funds of 200 million euros in the coming years – for the planning and preparation of the Stade project and for the second planned LNG terminal site in Wilhelmshaven. It is primarily about becoming independent of Russian natural gas.
The Terminal Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH) in Stade is to be built by 2026 in the immediate vicinity of the US chemical company Dow in Stade, directly on the banks of the Elbe. Dow has since joined HEH as a new minority shareholder. In the final stage, the plant will have a maximum regasification capacity of 13.3 billion cubic meters per year, which would correspond to up to 15 percent of Germany’s gas requirements. Concrete plans for liquefied natural gas terminals are also underway in Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel.
Hoping for approval in early 2023
The Stade terminal is to be built on the site of the Dow site. To this end, the number of berths is to be increased from three to five ships. One of the slots will be reserved for large LNG carriers that are up to 300 meters long and have an LNG capacity of 170,000 cubic meters. HEH expects around 110 LNG tankers of this type to call each year.
The idea for the terminal came from HEH co-partner Manfred Schubert, who has been following the project since 2016. The physicist cautiously assumes that the application will be approved by March 2023. The terminal is scheduled to go into operation in 2026. Politicians are even hoping for the end of 2024.
800 million euros in investments are estimated for the project. In addition, there are around 150 to 200 million euros for public port facilities. Germany currently purchases liquefied natural gas from other European terminals. Due to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the German government is desperately looking for alternatives to Russian natural gas.