Status: 12/17/2022 3:43 p.m
The first German import terminal for liquefied natural gas has opened. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the quick implementation. The German environmental aid announced further legal steps.
The SPD politician spoke on Saturday of the “new pace in Germany, with which we are advancing infrastructure”. It is a model for other infrastructure projects. “In this respect, it is a good day for our country, a good sign for the whole world that the German economy will be able to continue to be economically strong, to produce and to deal with this challenge,” said Scholz, looking at the energy crisis. The terminal should help to become independent of pipeline gas from Russia.
Olaf Scholz: LNG terminal built within a few months
Scholz emphasized that the decision for such a plant was only made after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the spring. Within a few months, a new, around 26-kilometer-long connection pipeline and a new pier were built at an existing handling facility north of the deep-water port JadeWeserPort. Many would have said that was not possible. “The opposite is true,” said Scholz. The Chancellor thanked the workers and engineers, companies and authorities on Saturday. Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) agreed with the Chancellor: It is one of the great political achievements “that the empty storage facilities have been filled and that we are showing today with the opening of the first LNG terminal here in Germany that we will continue to be independent advance.”
Great security precautions in Wilhelmshaven for the opening
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In addition to Scholz and Weil, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) attended the ceremony. Since the security forces feared protests, several roads were closed in the vicinity of the Voslapper Groden handling facility – especially in the Baederstrasse area. In addition, there was a drone flight ban within a radius of 2.5 kilometers.
LNG Terminal: Wastewater may be discharged into Jade
On Friday, the state agency for water management, coastal protection and nature conservation gave the green light for the commissioning of LNG terminals with its permission for sewage to be discharged into the Jade. Specifically, it was about the special ship “Höegh Esperanza”, which arrived in Wilhelmshaven on Thursday, being allowed to pump chlorine-containing sewage into the Jade. The “Höegh Esperanza” is the heart of the terminal. The almost 300 meter long special ship will in future convert the liquefied natural gas delivered by tankers into the gaseous state and feed it into the German gas network. The chlorine ensures that the ship’s pipes remain free – a total of around 35 tons are said to be discharged into the water untreated every year.
Environmentalists criticize the procedure and fear damage to the Wadden Sea. They point out that there are chemical-free cleaning processes. Imke Zwoch, member of the BUND state board in Lower Saxony, said that all other special ships that are to be used for handling LNG in Germany would do without the use of biocides such as chlorine. “We cannot understand why these six months have not been used to convert the ship accordingly.” However, according to the Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal Defense and Nature Conservation (NLWKN), the legal requirements are met. NLWKN director Anne Rickmeyer pointed out that the discharges would be strictly controlled based on measurements around the ship and in the Jade Bay. Nevertheless, the German Environmental Aid announced further legal steps on Saturday.
AUDIO: LNG terminal: BUND wants to sue “with high probability” (9 min)
BUND: The opposite of climate-responsible politics
The environmental organizations generally criticize the project as “oversized, climate-damaging infrastructure”. The chairman of the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), Olaf Bandt, said on Friday: “The planned construction of LNG terminals goes far beyond what would be necessary to get through the coming winters well.” The federal government has thus consolidated a fossil infrastructure for decades – and is pursuing the opposite of climate-responsible politics. Band calls for the operation of the terminal in Wilhelmshaven to be limited in time to a much greater extent.
Habeck: An alternative would be winter with a lack of gas
Habeck showed up in the ARD daily topics convinced that the permit for the terminals would stand up to lawsuits. “We are acting under the greatest pressure to ensure security of supply in Germany.” That means that in participatory processes “we sometimes have to shorten processes,” said the minister. You can’t find that so good, but the consequence would be “a winter with a lack of gas”. And Lower Saxony’s Environment and Energy Minister Christian Meyer (Greens) emphasized that high environmental and safety standards are mandatory for approval and operation. “There is no environmental discount.” In addition, around 300 objections from citizens and environmental organizations were received and examined. According to the operator, the gas importer Uniper, commissioning is planned for next Thursday.
VIDEO: LNG ship “Höegh Esperanza” arrives in Wilhelmshaven (12/15/2022) (3 Min)
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