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In 2022, Gasunie joined forces with the German government and RWE to build the LNG import terminal, which is worth about 1.3 billion euros ($1.45 billion).
Gasunie has a 40 percent operating stake in the facility, RWE has 10 percent, while the German government, through KfW, holds 50 percent.
The terminal is expected to regasify and feed some 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas into the German grid.
US energy giant ConocoPhillips, UK’s Ineos, and RWE have previously agreed to book long-term capacity at the onshore LNG import facility, while a unit of French construction company Vinci and Spanish engineering firm Sener won the EPC contract.
German LNG Terminal said on Thursday the Schleswig-Holstein Planning Approval Authority has now issued the plan approval decision for the construction of the land and water-side harbour infrastructure for the LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel.
A spokesman for German LNG Terminal said, “this means that we now have a formal plan approval and as the planning and implementation organization, German LNG Terminal will do everything in its power to be able to go into regular operation as early as possible in 2027.”
“In addition, the best possible fossil-free subsequent use will be considered and planned in advance. It has been determined that from the end of 2043, continued operation will only be permitted for climate-neutral hydrogen and its derivatives,” he said.
FID
Asked about the final investment decision, he said that one of the requirements for the formal FID was the issuing of the planning approval for the construction of the land and water-side harbor infrastructure.
“So next steps will follow,” the spokesman said.
“However, regardless of this pending approval, all three shareholders have made very clear from the signing of the MoU in March 2022 onwards, that they jointly will give full support to the project,” he said.
“In terms of capacity the three initial clients have booked 90 percent on long-term, 10 percent are still available and open for short-term bookings,” the spokesman added.
German FSRUs
Brunsbüttel already hosts the Elbehafen FSRU-based LNG import terminal.
Once in operation, the new land-based LNG terminal will replace the current FSRU-based facility.
The 170,000-cbm FSRU Hoegh Gannet, which serves the Elbehafen LNG import terminal Brunsbüttel, started supplying regasified LNG to the German grid on March 22, 2023, as part of the commissioning phase.
RWE developed the project with Hoegh LNG, Brunsbüttel Ports, and also other partners on behalf of the German government.
State-owned German LNG terminal operator DET operates this facility, as well as the first Wilhelmshaven terminal and the upcoming FSRU-based LNG import terminals in Stade and Wilhelmshaven.
Private firm Deutsche ReGas recently launched commercial operations at its Mukran FSRU-based LNG terminal, which can handle up to 13.5 bcm per year.
Germany is expected to have five operational FSRU-based facilities by the end of this year.
Earlier this year, Germany’s Hanseatic Energy Hub officially started building its Stade LNG onshore import terminal near Hamburg, which is worth about 1 billion euros.
HEH says this is Germany’s first onshore LNG terminal.
In March, HEH’s shareholders Partners Group, Enagas, Dow, and Buss Group took a positive final investment decision on the project.