Energate news claims that the energy firm Uniper has decided to abandon plans to build an LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal in Wilhelmshaven, in northern Germany. According to CEO Klaus-Dieter Maubach, in an interview with the energate magazine e|m|w, “it does not appear that investors have much interest in establishing such an LNG port in Germany.”
After failing to secure any firm customer bookings for its proposed LNG import facility in Germany last year, Uniper decided to cancel its ambitions for what might have been Europe’s first domestic LNG import station in the country. According to Maubach, the response was “very meek.” “Because of the favorable supply position through pipelines – and with Nord Stream 2 another one is on the way,” said the CEO, “it is becoming increasingly difficult for LNG to remain competitive in the German market.”
Another LNG facility near the Baltic Sea city of Rostock, according to the German newspaper Tageszeitung (taz), has been scrapped as well, according to the article. The initiative to develop an LNG terminal, which would have delivered LNG directly to ships and trucks rather than putting it into the country’s gas infrastructure, has been halted by Russian investor Novatek.
In spite of the fact that Germany has a well-developed natural gas pipeline network, the country does not yet have its own liquefied natural gas import facility. There are a variety of political and energy strategy considerations that may make greater autonomy in the gas industry appealing for Germany, even if there is no immediate financial reason to do so in order to replace pipeline imports. Construction on two LNG terminal projects in Stade and Brunsbüttel is still underway.