LNG terminal to be launched initially with a special ship
The controversial liquefied natural gas terminal on the island of Rügen is to be put into operation in January, initially with a regasification unit (FSRU). As the State Office for Agriculture and the Environment in Stralsund announced on Tuesday, Deutsche Regas, as the operator, only intends to use the special vessel "Transgas Power" in the industrial port of Mukran for the time being. Two of these FSRU facilities were listed in the original application to the licensing authority.
The company, which already operates a terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Lubmin, Western Pomerania, chartered the "Transgas Power" in October. The tanker, which flies the Maltese flag, can reportedly transport 174,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas itself and convert the liquefied natural gas delivered by tankers into up to 7.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year when used as a converter station.
The second special ship planned by Regas for Mukran, the "Neptune", has been in operation in Lubmin for almost a year and feeds gas into the German distribution network there. According to a company spokesperson, the ship is expected to be relocated to Mukran in the spring. The connecting pipeline through the Baltic Sea from Mukran to Lubmin is almost complete.
Terminals for importing liquefied natural gas are intended to secure the gas supply for Germany and other countries after Russia stopped supplying gas by pipeline last year. Facilities are already in operation in Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel on the North Sea as well as in Lubmin.
Critics of the planned LNG terminal in Mukran point out that the existing terminals in Germany have only been operating at 58 percent capacity so far this year, meaning that further facilities would only create overcapacity. For Rügen, they fear irreparable damage to nature and tourism.
The renowned Baltic seaside resort of Binz is particularly opposed to the construction of the terminal in its vicinity. Reiner Geulen, the lawyer commissioned by the municipality, has announced that two expert reports will be published this year. "An initial review of the application documents that have now been published confirms the assessment of our experts that the planned facilities are not eligible for approval," he announced on Tuesday. There is no regasification site anywhere in the world that is even close to such a small distance from residential areas and settlements.
The operation of the LNG terminal on Rügen, despite concerns, will primarily rely on the "Transgas Power" ship to provide regasified natural gas, reducing the initial use of two planned FSRUs. This decision from Deutsche Regas aims to address environmental concerns, as a regasification site close to residential areas is unusual.
Municipalities like Binz, nearby the planned terminal, are keen on presenting expert reports to challenge the approval of the LNG project, citing potential harm to nature and tourism as major concerns.
Source: www.dpa.com
