Aiming reducing dependence on Russia: Germany opens its second LNG terminal
On Saturday, Germany opened its second liquefied natural gas terminal, as part of the efforts of Europe’s largest economy to wean itself off dependence on Russian energy sources.
The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz participated in the ceremony, which was held in Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast.
The second LNG terminal inauguration came less than a month after he opened Germany’s first LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea.
Other stations are expected to enter service in the coming months, including another site in Lubmin.
The plants are part of efforts to prevent an energy crisis, which also include temporarily reactivating aging oil and coal power plants and extending the life of Germany’s last three nuclear power plants which were supposed to be decommissioned at the end of 2018 until mid-April 2022.
The escalating energy crisis in Europe forced Germany to conclude liquefied gas deals that will last for decades, as Germany rushed to search for alternatives to Russian gas supplies after Moscow invaded Ukraine, and liquefied gas facilities constitute an important means to avoid energy shortages.
Germany has also worked to fill gas storage facilities before winter, as last week, Germany’s energy regulator said a gas shortage was increasingly unlikely this winter.
Earlier this month, the first regular shipment of liquefied natural gas from the United States arrived in Germany on Tuesday, as part of a wide-ranging effort to help the country replace energy supplies it previously received from Russia.
The Maria Energy tanker has arrived in the port of Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea, where its cargo of liquefied natural gas will be converted back to gas in a special floating station, which was inaugurated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last month.
Last November, Qatar Energy and ConocoPhillips signed sales and purchase agreements to supply Germany with liquefied natural gas from the North Field, starting in 2026, and over a period of 15 years.
