Uniper starts construction of Germany’s first LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven

German energy major Uniper officially started the construction work for Germany’s first LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven on 4 July 2022.

Germany’s first LNG terminal will be built in Wilhelmshaven at the Voslapper Groden transshipment facility. Uniper will build and operate the terminal at the request of the Federal Republic of Germany.

On 4 July, Uniper said the construction work for the LNG terminal and for the onshore and seaward port infrastructure can begin after the State Trade Supervisory Authority Oldenburg has given its approval for an early start.

Up to 7.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year are to be handled via this terminal as quickly as possible. This is about 8.5 per cent of Germany’s current gas demand per year.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and Uniper are aiming for commissioning this winter.

“We are very pleased that things are now visibly getting underway,” says Lower Saxony’s minister for the environment, energy, building and climate protection Olaf Lies.

“We need a replacement for Russian gas as quickly as possible, and we in the north are prepared to take responsibility for this. Every cubic metre we save will help us get through the next winter, and every cubic metre we import to Germany via alternative routes in the future will help us free ourselves more quickly from Russia’s grip.”

Klaus-Dieter Maubach, CEO of Uniper, added: “The rapid approval for the early start of construction shows the importance of the LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven for the country’s security of supply. This cannot be taken for granted – above all, it shows what is possible when society, industry and politics pull together. We are proud to be able to make a significant contribution to Germany’s independence in natural gas supplies at our site in Wilhelmshaven, hopefully before the end of the winter 2022/2023. In the medium and long term, our Green Wilhelmshaven hydrogen project will set the course for an even more climate-friendly energy supply.”

Uniper had submitted the application for the required permit and for admission of an early start under the German Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) to the Oldenburg State Trade Inspectorate at the beginning of June. 

The permit for an early start construction works in accordance with §8a BImSchG relates to all parts of the land- and seaward infrastructure as well as an approximately 30 km long high-pressure gas pipeline between the FSRU and the transfer point into the natural gas pipeline network of Open Grid Europe (OGE). The BImSchG application, the essential parts of which have already been submitted to the approval authority, is to be completed by the beginning of September 2022.

Germany currently doesn’t have any LNG terminals or floating LNG terminals. However, this will change with three projects planned in Wilhelmshaven, Stade, and Brunsbüttel.