French firm’s barge in fifth gear for Germany’s Wilhelmshaven 2 LNG terminal

As part of a contract with Norway’s technology company ECOnnect Energy, French Geocean has picked up the thermo composite pipes (TCP) reels that will connect the FSRU to the onshore site as part of the second liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Wilhelmshaven developed by German state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET).

To address energy security needs in Germany and Europe, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection picked Tree Energy Solution (TES) and ENGIE in early September 2022 to develop and implement a second LNG floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) in Wilhelmshaven.

FSRU Wilhelmshaven, a joint venture between TES and ENGIE, hired ECOnnect Energy to install a jettyless ready IQuay solution for LNG import to Wilhelmshaven, who then appointed Geocean for subsea installation work. ECOnnect’s delivery will also enable the transfer between the FSRU Excelsior, owned by the U.S.-based Excelerate Energy, and shore.

Geocean is in charge of the on-site subsea installation of six 1,600-meter long TCP flowlines, two pipeline end manifold (PLEMs), associated risers, one power and one 1,800-meter fiber optic cable with its Fast-Flex barge solution to streamline installation operations.

The French company reported on September 9 that it had kicked off the initial stage of the project, noting it was set to install a 1.7-kilometer-long gas import pipeline 14 meters under the sea, directly connecting the FSRU Excelsior to the German grid, as well as to deliver the complete installation services to FSRU Wilhelmshaven for the IQuay.

Fast-Flex, transformed from a simple barge into an installation vessel, was selected to bring together all the equipment needed for the pipeline installation.

On September 13, the French company announced that Fast-Flex had loaded six TCP reels at Strohm’s manufacturing facilities in Ijmuiden, Netherlands, three seafastened on deck and three inside RDS systems, that will be used to connect the FSRU Excelerate Excelsior to the onshore site. Pre-trenching operations are next on schedule.

The Wilhelmshaven 2 LNG terminal is slated to kick off commercial operations in the second half of 2024. DET operates four LNG terminals on the German North Sea coast, including Wilhelmshaven 1, Brunsbüttel, Wilhelmshaven 2, and Stade, both currently under construction.

KN Energies was picked to carry out the preparatory work for the technical operation of the Wilhelmshaven 2 LNG terminal, with Van Oord responsible for the construction of the FSRU jetty.

Germany’s first floating terminal for importing LNG in Wilhelmshaven was officially commissioned for service in December 2022.