Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) has decided to fund the construction of three LNG bunkering ships with a total of around €62 million.
The three ships, each with a capacity of 4,500 cubic metres, will be constructed by shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG).
According to a statement from BMWK, minister Robert Habeck handed over the grants to Nordic Hamburg, Titan Clean Fuels and WESMAR during a ceremony at FSG shipyard on 23 December.
On the occasion, minister Habeck welcomed BMWK’s decision to support the construction of these ships, adding that the maritime energy transition and switch to alternative fuels require investments in the expansion of the bunkering infrastructure.
The bunkering ships will be used to supply LNG to ships docked in German and European ports.
It was also noted that the ships will be designed for future ammonia bunkering and upgraded accordingly.
Over the past months, Germany has been investing to develop LNG infrastructure and secure energy supplies.
As a result of these efforts, the country’s first LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven was inaugurated on 17 December, two days after the terminal’s designated floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Höegh Esperanza arrived .
An annual volume of at least five billion cubic metres of natural gas is expected to be imported and fed into the German long-distance gas grid via this terminal.
Meanwhile, works are underway to open the country’s second LNG terminal in Lubmin as the operator Deutsche ReGas awaits the arrival of the FSRU Neptune and operating permits.