A unit of Germany’s Uniper has invited firms to submit their binding capacity interest for its planned Wilhelmshaven FSRU project.
This call follows the non-binding phase of the open season process, which started in May 2019.
According to Uniper, the non-binding phase “already found great interest among market players”.
After further development steps, the project has now reached a level of maturity that, according to current planning, allows entering into the next phase on September 14, aiming for binding booking requests.
Within the next five years, Uniper’s unit LNG Terminal Wilhelmshaven plans to develop, construct and commission a terminal to land, store and regasify LNG at Germany’s sole deepwater port location.
The project includes an FSRU with a send-out capacity of 9.78 bcm per year helping diversify German gas supplies but also in Europe, according to Uniper.
Alongside regasification, the FSRU would also offer the possibility for loading LNG onto ships and bunkering barges.
In addition to the open season process, the LNG project started the environmental impact assessment process with the responsible authorities.
Uniper says it would take the final investment decision on the project based on “sufficient demand from market participants and economic viability”.
Besides that, the project also needs to conclude necessary public approval and permitting processes.
To remind, Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Uniper signed a build and charter deal for the FSRU earlier this year.
South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering would build the 263,000-cbm vessel equipped with GTT’s N096 membrane containment system.
