Germany’s Gascade said it had completed a pipeline that connects the FSRU-based terminal in the German port of Lubmin to the grid.
Gascade said in a statement that this is the first LNG link to the German gas network and it can go into operation in December.
“In just a few weeks, Gascade has completed the pipeline link to the landing station (Greifswald) for NEL and OPAL, into which the floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) can feed in gas as part of the “Deutsche Ostsee” LNG project of Deutsche Regas,” it said.
Also, Gascade said that from the landing station the regasified LNG would go through the OPAL, NEL, and EUGAL gas pipelines to Germany and Europe.
The firm announced in August plans to build the pipeline with a feed-in capacity of about 6 GWh/h.
Looking ahead, the 450 meters long pipeline would also be able to transport hydrogen, according to Gascade.
Lubmin FSRU expected to start ops in December
The completion of the pipeline follows the arrival of the 2009-built 145,000-cbm FSRU Neptune in the Mukran Port on the island of Ruegen.
Deutsche ReGas chartered the FSRU from French energy giant TotalEnergies.
The LNG terminal developer is preparing the FSRU in cooperation with the Mukran Port prior to the unit heading to the Port of Lubmin to start providing regasification services in December.
Should everything go according to plans, this private project in Lubmin would become the first operational FSRU-based facility in Germany.
Germany currently has no regasification facilities but it should start importing LNG later this year or in the beginning of the next via the Uniper-led Wilhelmshaven LNG terminal and RWE’s Elbhafen LNG terminal in Brunsbuettel.
The country’s first LNG jetty was recently completed in Wilhelmshaven, ahead of the arrival of Hoegh LNG’s 2018-built 170,000-cbm, FSRU Esperanza, in December.
Germany backed the charters of five FSRUs, two from Hoegh LNG, two from Dynagas, as well as one from Excelerate Energy.
