The Hanseatic Energy Hub will not import any natural gas after 2043, as prescribed by law. There is no option in the permitting process as to whether the LNG Acceleration Act should be applied. Assertions to the contrary by Deutsche Umwelthilfe are incorrect.
The approval procedure under the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) is the legally prescribed route for approving all plants of this type. As part of its review, the authority conducting the procedure ensures that all downstream legislation is applied. This also includes the LNG Acceleration Act, which will only permit operation with hydrogen or its derivatives after 2043.
The Hanseatic Energy Hub has been planned as a future-flexible energy hub since planning began in 2018. In the first stage of expansion, an emission-free LNG terminal is to be commissioned from 2027, with infrastructure also approved for bio-LNG and synthetic natural gas (SNG). At the same time, the terminal, port and infrastructure are designed to facilitate their conversion to using ammonia as a hydrogen-based energy source.
This is in line with the LNG Acceleration Act and the report of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection on planning and capacities of floating and fixed liquefied natural gas terminals. It states:
“The import capacity available in Germany will increase significantly when the land-based terminals come on stream, so that an additional security buffer of more than 30 bcm per year will be available from 2027, if all the planned projects are realized. The German federal government considers a security buffer of this size to be the minimum necessary to maintain security of supply in the event of a loss of import capacity due to accidents, sabotage or other exogenous events. The largest gas imports are currently from Norway to Germany (46 bcm per year, of which about 29 bcm are earmarked for German consumption). This security buffer therefore not only protects against the loss of Norwegian imports but also secures supplies to neighboring European countries.”
Contact press office
Charlotte Holzum
on behalf of Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH
c/o navos - Public Dialogue Consultants GmbH
Glashüttenstraße 79
20357 Hamburg
Phone: 040 69 638 76 44
Email: dialog@hanseatic-energy-hub.de