Large LNG tankers from overseas should be able to dock as early as this winter to bring liquefied natural gas (LNG). Urgency is needed because of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. Today marks the start of construction: German Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is participating, as are Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) and State Economics Minister Bernd Althusmann (CDU).
They sign a contract: Wilhelmshaven is to become the German hub for liquefied natural gas. And then the first piles are driven at Voslapper Groden for the conversion of the existing dock. The leased floating LNG platform is to start operations there in the winter – as the first in the whole of Germany.
However, there is massive criticism from Deutsche Umwelthilfe. The environmentalists fear that harbor porpoises will suffer from the noise of the work – and that an underwater biotope worthy of protection will also be irretrievably destroyed. Nature conservation associations have not yet been involved, thus violating the principle of the rule of law, according to a letter from Deutsche Umwelthilfe to the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation, the authority that approved the premature start of construction. Umwelthilfe has filed an appeal demanding that the decision be rescinded.
The pipeline is scheduled to be ready in winter so that around ten billion cubic meters of gas can flow by the end of the year, or by the beginning of 2023 at the latest. That is almost ten percent of Germany’s gas consumption. The floating platform alone costs around 200,000 euros in rent per day. The federal government wants to spend almost three billion on four of these floating facilities.
However, there are still uncertainties regarding the financing of the LNG terminal. Specifically, this involves 40 million euros that are to come from the federal government and were actually intended to mitigate the consequences of the coal phase-out in Wilhelmshaven. But the state Ministry for Regional Development is demanding that the city of Wilhelmshaven put the millions into the construction of the LNG terminal instead – in other words, use the subsidies for a different purpose. A procedure that is legally controversial to say the least.
That is typical German. So we will probably stop to construction for some sea critters 🤪 that will do untold billions in damages for the country and the greens will pat themself on the back for it
So germany is breaking rule of law. Uhmm, EU ?
finally, now I just hope that Germans take this seriously and not let the bureaucracy run crazy, projects this important are vital for stability in the entire continent.
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Translation:
Large LNG tankers from overseas should be able to dock as early as this winter to bring liquefied natural gas (LNG). Urgency is needed because of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine to reduce dependence on Russian natural gas. Today marks the start of construction: German Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is participating, as are Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) and State Economics Minister Bernd Althusmann (CDU).
They sign a contract: Wilhelmshaven is to become the German hub for liquefied natural gas. And then the first piles are driven at Voslapper Groden for the conversion of the existing dock. The leased floating LNG platform is to start operations there in the winter – as the first in the whole of Germany.
However, there is massive criticism from Deutsche Umwelthilfe. The environmentalists fear that harbor porpoises will suffer from the noise of the work – and that an underwater biotope worthy of protection will also be irretrievably destroyed. Nature conservation associations have not yet been involved, thus violating the principle of the rule of law, according to a letter from Deutsche Umwelthilfe to the Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation, the authority that approved the premature start of construction. Umwelthilfe has filed an appeal demanding that the decision be rescinded.
The pipeline is scheduled to be ready in winter so that around ten billion cubic meters of gas can flow by the end of the year, or by the beginning of 2023 at the latest. That is almost ten percent of Germany’s gas consumption. The floating platform alone costs around 200,000 euros in rent per day. The federal government wants to spend almost three billion on four of these floating facilities.
However, there are still uncertainties regarding the financing of the LNG terminal. Specifically, this involves 40 million euros that are to come from the federal government and were actually intended to mitigate the consequences of the coal phase-out in Wilhelmshaven. But the state Ministry for Regional Development is demanding that the city of Wilhelmshaven put the millions into the construction of the LNG terminal instead – in other words, use the subsidies for a different purpose. A procedure that is legally controversial to say the least.
That is typical German. So we will probably stop to construction for some sea critters 🤪 that will do untold billions in damages for the country and the greens will pat themself on the back for it
So germany is breaking rule of law. Uhmm, EU ?
finally, now I just hope that Germans take this seriously and not let the bureaucracy run crazy, projects this important are vital for stability in the entire continent.