August 30, 2022 [ LNG Prime ] – Deutsche ReGas said it has submitted an application to Germany’s Federal Network Agency for an exemption from regulation for its planned FSRU-based terminal in the German port of Lubmin.
The German firm led by Ingo Wagner and Stephan Knabe is seeking the exemption from tariff and network access regulation in accordance with Section 28a of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG).
Knabe said in a statement issued last week that the Lubmin terminal would be the first privately financed FSRU-based facility in Germany.
“We do not claim taxpayers’ money or other government support. For the economic operation of the LNG terminal, it is inevitable to get an exemption from the regulation,” he said.
Deutsche ReGas confirmed in the statement it expects the Lubmin facility to start delivering about 4.5 billion cubic meters per year from December 1.
In July, the firm revealed it signed a term sheet with French energy giant TotalEnergies under which the latter would provide an FSRU for the project.
Lubmin is the exit point for the German-Russian gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and 2.
The German firm said it could install two additional FSRUs to add more regasification capacity while its plans also include hydrogen.
Due to shallow waters at the location in Greifswalder Bodden, Deutsche ReGas plans to install a floating storage unit where LNG tankers with a capacity of up to 170,000-cbm would be able to dock.
From there, smaller vessels would transport the fuel to the FSRU, according to the firm.
Germany to become LNG importer this year
This unit Deutsche ReGas will charter from TotalEnergies is not connected to the four FSRUs RWE and Uniper chartered on behalf of the German government.
These vessels include the two units RWE chartered from Hoegh LNG, and the Dynagas-owned 174,000-cbm Transgas Force and Transgas Power that will go on charter to Uniper.
Germany currently has no regasification facilities but the country is fast-tracking LNG imports to reduce reliance on Russian gas and boost energy security.
Uniper has already started building Germany’s first FSRU-based LNG facility in Wilhelmshaven and expects to commission it this winter, while Dutch gas grid operator Gasunie said it expects the Brunsbuettel FSRU-based LNG import terminal to go online by the end of this year.
Such as the Uniper facility, the Brunsbuettel terminal will host one of the four chartered FSRUs as well. RWE will probably install one of the two FSRUs it chartered from Hoegh.
Besides these two terminals, Germany has also chosen Stade and Lubmin as the next two locations to install the chartered units.
In addition, Germany recently signed a deal with RWE, Uniper, EnBW, and VNG for the supply of liquefied natural gas to the first two FSRU-based LNG import terminals.
With this memorandum, the two planned FSRU-based facilities in Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuettel would be fully supplied until March 2024.
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