Page 12 - GLNG Week 34 2022

GLNG EUROPE GLNG

Germany pens memo

for LNG supplies

IMPORTS GERMANY has signed a memorandum of LNG. However, it has had some difficulty secur-
understanding (MoU) with energy compa- ing supplies because of the global market’s tight-
nies Uniper, RWE and EnBW on securing ness and its reluctance to enter into contracts
energy supplies for its planned LNG terminals that are too long, through fear of undermining
in Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuettel, due to be its own energy transition policy.
launched this coming winter. “We are working flat out to ensure that these
German Federal Minister for Economic plans are implemented so that at the turn of the
Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck year we have two regasification ships, or floating
announced the deal at an August 16 press event, LNG terminals, so to speak, ready at the loca-
estimating that LNG supplies would begin tions,” Habeck said in a statement. He added that
under the agreement before the end of the year. Germany lacked alternative gas infrastructure,
By March 2024 he expects the suppliers to pro- leaving it heavily exposed to the risk of Russia
vide enough gas to fill the entire capacities of the shutting off gas supply to Europe completely.
floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently
stationed at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuettel. advocated for the construction of a new pipeline
Wilhelmshaven is due to host a 10bn cubic from Portugal to Central Europe that could give
metres per year regasification terminal, devel- the latter region access to the Iberian peninsu-
oped by Uniper, and a second 2.2 bcm per year by la’s under-utilised regasification capacity. But
Tree Energy, while Gasunie wants to start up an he offered few details about the project’s scope.
8 bcm per year facility in Brunsbuettel. A fourth, Germany is also reconsidering plans to retire
12 bcm per year terminal is planned by Hanse- its last remaining nuclear power plants (NPPs)
atic Energy Hub for the port of Stade. at the end of this year, has restored some coal-
Since putting Nord Stream 2 on hold and fired power generation and is asking citizens
declaring its intention to eliminate Russian gas and businesses to curb their energy costs ahead
imports by mid-2024, Germany has embraced of this winter.

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 34 26•August•2022