The German Shipowners’ Association (Verband Deutscher Reeder, VDR) has exchanged views on the possible uses of LNG with the new German LNG Terminal GmbH, located in Brunsbüttel and expected to support the energy transformation
“As one of the world’s major shipping nations, Germany needs an LNG infrastructure for its shipping industry to prepare for the upcoming energy transformation. That’s why we welcome projects that quickly become reality, such as the terminal in Brunsbüttel,” said Ralf Nagel, CEO of VDR, following a discussion with Rolf Brouwer, Managing Director of German LNG Terminal GmbH. Both exchanged views, discussing the status of the terminal project and perspectives for shipping companies and the maritime industry.
Nagel emphasized that, from his point of view, LNG was currently the only marketable fuel available with which the maritime industry could approach its climate goals within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as well as the objectives set for improving air quality.
“The LNG terminal is an ambitious and forward-looking infrastructure project because natural gas and therefore LNG play an important role in the energy transformation. The shipping industry is also facing the particular challenge of significantly reducing the emission of pollutants. The planned terminal in Brunsbüttel will be a practical support for introducing more sustainable alternative fuels, especially for shipping traffic,” commented Brouwer.
The plan is to work with two special jetties. The one jetty will handle Q-Max tankers ranging between 120 m and 345 m in length and with a capacity of approx. 265,000m³ LNG, while the other jetty will handle smaller LNG tankers, such as bunker vessels, ranging from 70 m to 170 m. The terminal will have a maximum unloading rate of 14,000 m³/h, which means that large ships can be unloaded in approx. 20 hours. Smaller LNG tankers will have correspondingly shorter layovers.
German LNG Terminal GmbH is a joint venture between Dutch companies Gasunie LNG Holding B.V. and Vopak LNG Holding B.V. as well as Oiltanking GmbH, a subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls AG, based in Hamburg, Germany. The aim is to build and operate a multifunctional import and distribution terminal for LNG in Brunsbüttel, which will also provide a wide range of services including the loading and unloading of LNG carriers, the temporary storage of LNG, regasification, feeding natural gas into the German natural gas network, and distribution of LNG via tank trucks.
Source: VDR
