Germany will build two liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who pledged to do more to protect the countries energy supply and lessen its reliance on Russian gas.

Russia’s largest gas consumer is Germany. It has previously been reported that Europe imports 35% of its natural gas from Russia, with Germany accounting for over 50%. However, in the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Germany, along with other European countries, has been trying to increase LNG imports and diversify their energy supply.

As informed, the LNG terminals are planned to be located in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven. Currently, there are several liquefied natural gas terminals in Europe, however, none of them are located in Germany.

LNG was floated as an alternative to Russian Gas by the EU Commission President at the start of February:

“Even in case of full disruption of gas supply from Russia, we are on the safe side for this winter,” she stated.  ”For the time being we would be able to replace the Russian gas with LNG [liquefied natural gas] deliveries that we get from our friends all over the world.” “In the middle to long-term, we are doubling on renewables. sun, wind and hydropower will increase European independence on energy.” 

LNG is already widely used in Europe, accounting for roughly a fifth of the region’s natural-gas imports. One question is how much more of the material can be processed by Europe?  To be transported, LNG must first be converted to a liquid; it must then be “re-gassed” at terminals, generally along the coast, before being used to heat and power houses.

In reaction to the situation in Ukraine, Germany paused the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia last week. Construction on Nord Stream 2 was finished in September 2021, but the project still needs German regulatory approval before gas deliveries can begin.