The federal government has made a compromise in the months-long dispute over the construction of a new LNG terminal in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to the plans of Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Die Grünen), the liquid natural gas station is to be built in the port of Mukran on Rügen.
The federal government wants to build a new LNG terminal at the port of Mukran on Rügen. A corresponding letter from Habeck to Minister of State for Economic Affairs Reinhard Meyer (SPD) is available for the NDR. Now things must move quickly: the federal government wants to send license applications to the Stralsund Mining Authority and the State Environmental Agency as early as June. This is a pipeline of around 50 kilometers across the Greifswalder Bodden from the port of Mukran to the central point of entry into the gas network in Lubmin.
Federal Economy Minister Habeck wants to talk to the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state government about the terminal on Friday. A ministry spokeswoman said on request that he would travel to Mukran, in the east of the island, on Friday. He should promote the LNG plans and explain the need for them.
Disappointment on the island of Rügen
Binz Mayor Karsten Schneider was disappointed by the federal decision on NDR MV Live on Tuesday. According to him, there is always talk of communication, which apparently does not occur. He accused the federal government of not playing with open cards and presenting people on Rügen with a fait accompli. The municipality of Binz has announced legal action.
Environmental aid plan meetings
German Environmental Aid also wants to take legal action against the decision. According to a statement by Federal Administrative Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner, people are not taken seriously in their concerns and are certainly not involved. Massive interventions in the sensitive natural environment of the Baltic Sea were never seriously weighed against the possible advantages of the LNG terminal. In just under two weeks, environmental aid wants to invite people to a meeting on the island – to talk to environmental protection associations, authorities, tourism managers and residents about the planned project.
FDP: Understanding the concerns
FDP MP David Wulff expressed understanding for the prevailing concerns on Rügen. That’s why it’s important to make the best of the situation for the region. “If Rügen creates a huge benefit for all of Germany and half of Europe with the LNG terminal, then the local population should also benefit from it,” says Wulff. In addition, the expansion of infrastructure for tourism and the economy must be promoted.
Greens require proof of need
Criticism also comes from green deputy Hannes Damm. It is not clear how the federal government demonstrated the need for the construction of the LNG terminal on Rügen. “If the state government now follows the federal plans without objection, it is disrespecting the state parliament resolution of March of this year,” he explains. In it, the SPD, Esquerda, FDP and Verdes factions decided that the state government would require the federal government to prove that the terminal was necessary for the security of supply. Available data has shown that European energy supplies are secure even without an additional LNG terminal.
Gas supply still “sewn on the edge”
Federal Economy Minister Habeck had already informed the state of plans in Mukran last Friday. It is about “quickly finding a solution for the Mukran LNG site”. According to the federal government, Germany’s gas supply will remain “on edge”, especially if the coming winters are exceptionally cold. In addition, action needs to be taken in case Russia stops supplying natural gas through onshore pipelines, so far Europe has obtained a lot of natural gas this way.
LNG terminal at sea “technically difficult”
“There is no doubt that we have a tense supply situation and more near-term needs for LNG capacities,” Habeck wrote to his counterpart in Schwerin. Therefore, the Minister of Green wants to take precautions. The port of Rostock is not an alternative LNG site, this is about oil handling. Building an LNG station on the Baltic Sea is technically difficult and ecologically questionable. In contrast, Habeck believes that the port of Mukran is best suited as an LNG site. Liquid gas tankers must disembark their cargo there, the cargo must be converted into natural gas in two FSRUs (regasification vessels) and transported to Lubmin via the new pipeline.
Planned relief for Lubmin
The port of Mukran has a draft of more than 14 meters, which should allow the entry of LNG ships. It also provides enough space for two FSRUs. Only one of them is additional. Because the second regasification vessel “Neptune”, which was previously in Lubmin, will be relocated to Mukran. The operating company, Deutsche ReGas, would use the pipeline between Mukran and Lubmin.
ReGas is also considered to be the operator of the Mukran plant, Habeck talks of a “simplified project structure”. Originally, power company RWE was in discussion for the terminal at Mukran. Shuttle traffic between the LNG terminal and Lubmin port, considered a burden on the Bodden, would be eliminated, as would noise pollution at the Lubmin site.
Minister wants to talk to the population
A permanent terminal is also to be built at Mukran which can feed green hydrogen into the grid. According to preliminary plans, ammonia will be converted to hydrogen on site using green wind energy. Details have not yet been clarified. State Economy Minister Reinhard Meyer (SPD) told NDR that he found Habeck’s proposals as a whole convincing. He finds it difficult to completely reject them. “We have to talk about what’s possible, what’s reasonable, what’s acceptable,” says Meyer. “The federal government needs to answer the question: what do citizens get out of these ships parked there?” The state and federal government have already thought about this.
resistance for months
The federal government had already activated the port of Mukran during a visit to Rügen by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Federal Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck (Greens), almost three weeks ago. LNG plans on Rügen have been causing fierce resistance on the island for months. Opponents of the LNG explained the reasons for their rejection to the Bundestag Petitions Committee for the first time on Monday. Some of them then had the impression that they had found open ears. Critics fear for the environment and tourism, which is particularly important for Rügen. The Schwerin state government also expressed doubts that the terminal would be needed and asked for a statement of need.
This topic in the program:
NDR Television | North Magazine | 09.05.2023 | 7:30 pm
