FRANKFURT, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Germany's second terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Baltic Sea port Lubmin opened on Jan. 14. as Germany seeks to reduce its former reliance on Russian gas.
Earlier in the New Year, a United States LNG delivery arrived at the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven, where a terminal was completed in November to host a floating storage and regasification (FSRU) unit moored there after its first delivery on Dec. 17.
Six FSRUs spread over four sites are expected to be online by the end of 2023.
The government agreed leases on five, each capable of importing at least 5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of seaborne gas per year. Germany has struck a delivery contract with Qatar from 2026.
The FSRUs will cost twice the public funds initially estimated, but the budget has been approved.
Additionally, the privately-chartered FSRU Neptune is moored at the Baltic Sea port of Lubmin, which pipeline operator Gascade connected to onshore pipeline grids in November.
The floating storage vessel Seapeak Hispania anchored near there last month to feed future gas receipts to the Neptune.
Below are more details of the four sites:
WILHELMSHAVEN
The Wilhelmshaven site, developed by Uniper, in December received the first gas from an FSRU and launched trial operations. The second FSRU is due in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Local LNG activities will later be converted to handle clean hydrogen and ammonia and to accommodate electrolysis to produce green gases using renewable energy.
Tree Energy Solutions (TES), which works with E.ON at Wilhelmshaven, and utility EWE have announced plans for an electrolyser plant to start in 2028.
LUBMIN/BALTIC SEA
The Seapeak Hispania has started serving as a floating storage unit (FSU) for the terminal operated by Deutsche Regas. On Dec. 30, it accepted gas from the Coral Furcata, which small boats will take to the Neptune as part of test operations.
Deutsche ReGas said this is not yet a regular feed-in.
The shuttling is necessary to allow for operations in shallow water and to protect local wildlife.
The private project, which was officially opened on Jan. 14, was granted exemption from tariff and network access regulations for 20 years to increase competition with the state ones.
ReGas said it has concluded long-term LNG supply deals with French TotalEnergies and Switzerland-based trading group MET for 80% of the terminal's long-term capacities.
Lubmin is also due to receive an FSRU leased by the government by the end of 2023.
BRUNSBUETTEL
The Brunsbuettel FSRU is being developed by RWE and is expected to begin operations early this year.
It is expected to be a forerunner of a fixed LNG facility that will start operations at the end of 2026, the year when an ammonia terminal will also start.
Dutch gas network operator Gasunie, which has a 40% stake in the FSRU project, is planning two related gas pipelines.
State bank KfW and RWE are stakeholders in the fixed facility. Shell has committed to sizeable guaranteed purchases.
STADE
The Elbe river port of Stade will receive an FSRU by the end of 2023.
Project operator Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH) has provisionally allocated regasification capacity at a planned land-based hub that could be operational in early 2027. The hub has already been made ammonia-ready.
It is backed by gas network company Fluxys, investment firm Partners Group, logistics group Buss and chemicals company Dow.
A final investment decision is expected in mid-2023, CEO Johann Killinger said on Jan. 12, narrowing down the previous 2023 annual time span.
(Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by Barbara Lewis, Mark Potter and Jacqueline Wong)
