Dependence on Russia and no way out? A column
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel during the NMK 2019; Photo. hsc
Since then, there has been optimistic talk of future terminals at all conferences in the maritime scene. At the VSM conference in 2019, we repeatedly heard that things were getting underway in Brunsbüttel. Then came the National Maritime Conference: even the German Chancellor dutifully read off the page what had been written down for her, that we could rely on the strong maritime industry and its innovative strength in the future. Alternative technologies, alternative fuels, transitional technology. The magic word "Power to X" and LNG as a transition. Liquefied natural gas, not only for propulsion, but also of great importance for the national energy supply.
And what about four years later? There has apparently been no investment decision, as a spokeswoman for the project organiser German LNG Terminal GmbH revealed to the German Press Agency, as reported by Handelsblatt. Allegedly, corona is preventing a reliable plan for the course of the project. Really? The 450 million euro project is a major time-critical industrial investment. There is no import terminal for liquefied natural gas in Germany! The project company was founded in 2018, investors were sought, a decision was to be made in Kiel and the application was submitted in 2021. The Handelsblatt newspaper quotes Economics Minister Bernd Buchholz (FDP) as saying that "not all the documents are in order yet". If approval is granted in autumn 2023, the terminal would not be ready before 2026. Complaints from environmental organisations are also expected, as Deutsche Umwelthilfe had already clearly stated in 2019 that a "disruptive operation" could not be approved. So what now?
The "ElbBLUE" is the first container ship in the world to bunker climate-neutral synthetic marine fuel in the Elbe harbour of Brunsbüttel Ports, photo: MAN Energy Solutions
Economics Minister Robert Habeck is a well-known supporter of the project, also in view of the dependence on Russian gas. A new state parliament will be elected in Schleswig-Holstein on 8 May. And will the Brunsbüttel project as a "national LNG terminal" be included in the coalition agreement again? If there is one - which the keen observer of Kiel's party colour theory can assume.
We look at the current conflict, at Northstream, at gas prices and hope that it will be a warm summer. Or five warm years, until we realise that we have driven ourselves into a corner. Environmental organisations are calling for alternatives to LNG, because that is also burning fossil fuels. Right, but what alternatives? Artificial fuels require a lot of energy to cover the demand for hydrogen. We don't have enough wind turbines and people don't like them on land either. Wind turbines on the high seas are not a sustainable solution for flora and fauna either. And who will dismantle them one day? Do we also have to think about nuclear energy, like in France?
Another piece of news makes interesting reading: Shell entered into two different partnerships this week. The energy company will be working with the South Korean company Doosan Fuel Cell on the development of fuel cells for shipping. Shell has also teamed up with the French company GTT to work on a liquid hydrogen transporter. Shell has increasingly moved away from oil and gas in recent years. With plans to participate in offshore wind projects and a biofuel plant in Rotterdam, Shell is aiming to become a carbon-free energy supplier by 2050 or sooner. The company has long been considering the ability to transport very large quantities of hydrogen in liquefied form at -250°C in order to establish a reliable hydrogen supply chain. The top brass at Shell have been thinking far beyond LNG, while we are still discussing location issues that may eventually be resolved. Just like Northstream. But Shell doesn't have an answer to the electricity question either.
Why do I remember the saying about the washed fur?
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