Germany’s First LNG Terminal Planned

Uniper SE and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. have reached an agreement on a project to install a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) at Uniper site in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

The FSRU, expected to be the nation’s first, has a planned send-out capacity of 10 bcm/a and an LNG storage capacity of 263,000 cubic meters. It could be in operation as early as the second half of 2022.

The FSRU will be designed to allow for the loading of small-scale barges to enable the use of LNG as marine fuel. Further, onward transportation of LNG on trucks will be possible.

The project benefits from the existing site in Wilhelmshaven where required infrastructure is already in place. Wilhelmshaven is the only German deepwater port and can be reached without any tidal constraints. In addition, Wilhelmshaven is closely located to the existing pipeline and gas storage infrastructure.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines plans to own, operate and finance the FSRU. Uniper will act as project developer.

A LNG terminal in Germany, especially with the planed large regasification capacity in Wilhelmshaven, would strengthen the security of gas supply in Germany and increase competition to the benefit of end customers, says Uniper, because it enables large quantities of gas to be procured from the global LNG market and thus serves to diversify gas supplies.

In addition to the agreement in respect of the FSRU Wilhelmshaven, Uniper and MOL entered into a binding transportation agreement. Under the agreement MOL will provide Uniper with shipping capacity equivalent to a 180,000 cubic meter LNG carrier. The agreement will commence in December 2020. Uniper intends to use the additional shipping capacity to optimize LNG volumes sourced from Freeport, U.S., and to further leverage its expanding LNG trading activities. Already in 2015, Uniper contracted approx. 0.9 mtpa of U.S. LNG exports. The supply contract has a duration of 20 years.

More LNG Action

Another LNG terminal is planned for Germany. In September 2018, RWE and German LNG Terminal GmbH, the joint venture driving forward an LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel in Northern Germany, reached an agreement for a considerable part of the terminal’s capacity on a long-term basis. The total capacity of the combined LNG import and small-scale terminal will be five billion cubic metres. RWE has signed a contract that guarantees RWE access to substantial annual capacity. Final investment decision is envisaged for late 2019. Construction work will then start in 2020 with the terminal being fully operational by the end of 2022.