First LNG Shipment Arrives at the Newly Built Terminal at Wilhelmshaven, Germany

The first cargo of LNG arrived at Germany’s newly built floating terminal at Wilhelmshaven on January 3rd.

The vessel, Maria Energy transported the LNG cargo from the US. The 93,300 dwt gas carrier had loaded 170,000 cbm of LNG from Louisiana and departed on December 19th. According to the energy company, Uniper, which is providing the LNG, the gas in the tanker is enough to fuel 50,000 German homes for a year.

The LNG carrier docked with the FSRU; Höegh Esperanza upon arrival at Wilhelmshaven. Here, the LNG will be regasified and fed into the German energy network.

The facility at Wilhelmshaven is one of many that has been expeditiously built to replace Russian gas that arrives in Germany through pipelines. Four more floating terminals are currently under construction, and another private project has already begun operations in Lubmin.

German gas reserves have surpassed the 90% mark, despite the reduction in imports from Russia owing to a particularly warm December.

Environmental activists however protested the arrival of the ship as they argue that Germany should not acquire LNG obtained through fracking. The Non-profit organization Environmental Action Germany has slammed the LNG imports and has condemned the practice of fracking. They state that fracking not only produces methane usually associated with LNG but also uses up millions of liters of water per drilling and can cause earthquakes.

The German coalition government is also receiving criticism for reopening coal and oil-powered plants and for delaying the closure of its last three nuclear power plants in response to the reduction in imports from Russia.