WILHELMSHAVEN (dpa-AFX) - German environmental aid group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has lodged an objection to the operating permit for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Wilhelmshaven. The association is demanding that the operation of the floating terminal ship "Höegh Esperanza," which opened in December, be limited to a maximum of ten years and that the discharge of biocide-treated wastewater into the sea be stopped. Instead, the terminal operator, gas importer Uniper, is to rely on environmentally compatible cleaning processes without chemicals. The Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation (NLWKN), which is responsible for the project, had granted water rights approval for the terminal in mid-December.

The operation of the terminal is currently limited in the LNG Act until 2043, i.e. for 20 years. This is clearly too long for Deutsche Umwelthilfe and other environmental protection associations. In their view, the long duration contradicts the goals for reducing emissions of climate-damaging gases under the Paris Climate Agreement.

According to a statement on Wednesday, DUH's federal managing director Sascha Müller-Kraenner said that it must be ensured that climate protection remains valid even in the current energy crisis. "If we now issue numerous open-ended operating permits for new fossil fuel projects, we will take ourselves from one fossil fuel dependency to the next and jeopardize our climate goals." He added that the operating period of the Wilhelmshaven LNG terminal should therefore be limited to a maximum of ten years. Umwelthilfe is also already taking action against the operating period of the newly built connection pipeline. It is also to be limited to ten years.

Environmental groups are also criticizing the discharge of biocide-treated wastewater into the sea. This is because in order to convert the liquefied natural gas delivered by tankers back into gas, it has to be heated with North Sea water on board the LNG terminal. To prevent the ship's seawater systems from becoming overgrown with mussels or barnacles, the operator Uniper says chlorine must be used as a biocide for purification. According to the licensing authority NLWKN, the amount applied for meets the legal requirements.

In view of the chlorine use, Umwelthilfe fears damage to the adjacent tidal flats. "The use of tons of chlorine as a biocide is a disaster for the biodiversity of the Jade and local mussel fishermen and also clearly shows what the failures of environmental impact assessments mean for infrastructure projects," said DUH energy expert Constantin Zerger. The association calls for relying on other cleanup methods, such as mechanical cleanup, instead of chemicals.

The LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven is the first to open in Germany. It is part of Germany's efforts to become independent of natural gas from Russia. In the application process for the terminal, there had been around 300 objections from public interest groups, environmental associations and private individuals./len/DP/stk