Stade/Braunschweig/Norden. The floating LNG terminal in Stade-Bützfleth is about to commence operation. The Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) today (22 December 2023) granted Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH licences in accordance with water legislation for extracting surface water from the River Elbe and discharging wastewater and untreated surface water into the Elbe. This therefore fulfils a further requirement for operating the FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit), a floating facility for regasifying liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Stade-Bützfleth. The licences are subject to strict environmental conditions, the licensing authority emphasised in its statement.
After comprehensively and thoroughly examining the licence application and the objections and comments submitted by public bodies, nature conservation and environmental organisations as well as private individuals, the experts have concluded that the water uses applied for meet the legal requirements and that the licences can be granted. The water quality of the Elbe River means that the use of biocides is not necessary.
Water ecology and nature conservation assessments had a major influence on the provisions for the final licence notice. “The licences were accordingly issued with extensive main and ancillary provisions in order to meet the high environmental standards and to protect the sensitive ecosystem,” says Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister, Christian Meyer. These include temporary restrictions on water abstraction to protect the fish fauna and close monitoring of discharges.
The NLWKN points out that the licence notice will be sent to individuals who have raised objections from the first week of January. Irrespective of this, the licence notice is already available for public inspection on the NLWKN website.
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Source: Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) / www.nlwkn.niedersachsen.de