Start of construction of LNG Terminal Wilhelmshaven

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is coming today, as are the state ministers Olaf Lies (SPD) and Bernd Althusmann (CDU).

In 2021, plans for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Wilhelmshaven were cancelled. Suddenly things are moving fast. Dependence on Russian natural gas is to be reduced. The first tankers with LNG gas are expected at the end of the year. LNG tankers should be able to dock as early as winter 22 / 23 to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG). Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the federal and state governments are exerting pressure to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. Construction begins on Thursday: Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and the state ministers Olaf Lies (SPD) and Bernd Althusmann (CDU) sign a contract: Wilhelmshaven is to become the German hub for liquefied natural gas. And then the first piles are driven.

"The current global political situation and, above all, the Russian war of aggression have shown us how important it is to guarantee security of supply independent of Russian gas. A national supply strategy can only work with Wilhelmshaven - there is space for the large tankers here, the storage facilities and the necessary infrastructure. If we are to succeed in the rapid energy transition, it would be negligent not to utilise this. At the same time, the conversion of Wilhelmshaven into a hub for renewable energies, both in the LNG sector and with regard to hydrogen, offers opportunities and possibilities for Wilhelmshaven as a business location. We are working together with politicians and businesses to ensure that the entire region can benefit from the energy transition. I am convinced that Wilhelmshaven, as a hub for renewable energies, will make a decisive contribution to the energy transition, but also to the necessary security of supply."

Criticism from the DUH

There is strong criticism from the German environmental organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe. The environmentalists fear for harbour porpoises, which suffer from the noise of the work. In addition, an underwater biotope would be irretrievably destroyed. Nature conservation organisations have not yet been involved, which violates the rule of law. The letter from Deutsche Umwelthilfe is addressed to the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation.