EnBW to buy LNG from Germany’s Stade LNG terminal

German energy company EnBW will buy at least three billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the Stade LNG terminal under a new deal with Hanseatic Energy Hub.

In a statement from 31 March, EnBW said it is undergoing consistent efforts to diversify its procurement portfolio. The company plans to significantly increase the share of liquefied natural gas.

Therefore, EnBW now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hanseatic Energy Hub. The Hanseatic Energy Hub is behind constructing the Stade LNG import terminal in the North of Germany.

As a first step, EnBW will buy at least 3 bcma of natural gas via the LNG terminal. It is also holding talks on further forms of cooperation.

This Stade LNG terminal is to become a central hub for the import of LNG to Germany. The Hanseatic Energy Hub will be ready to use from 2026 with a planned regasification capacity of around 12 billion cubic meters per annum (bcma).

Moreover, up to 10 per cent of Germany’s gas requirements can be covered by this import infrastructure.

Besides LNG, the terminal is also designed for low-carbon energy sources such as bio-LNG and synthetic methane in the first phase. In the second phase, the hub will also import hydrogen-based fuels, such as ammonia.

“We have expanded our LNG activities step by step in recent years. That’s because LNG plays a key role in the diversification of our fuels for energy generation; It opens up the possibility of new sources to secure Germany’s gas supply in the transitional period of the new energy concept and builds a bridge to a green energy supply,” explains Georg Stamatelopoulos from EnBW.

“That is why we specifically chose Stade as our import terminal. Technically, commercially and in terms of approval processes, the project is at a high stage of maturity. The zero-emissions concept and the short connection distance to the German gas transmission grid are also particularly relevant from our perspective.”

As a zero-emissions terminal, the Stade LNG does not release any CO2 during operation because the heat required for the regasification of the LNG is available as process waste heat from the nearby industrial and chemical park.

HEH plans to submit the approval documentation for the LNG terminal and port before April 2022. Until 8 April 2022, due to the changed market situation, interested parties will also have the opportunity to express their interest in long-term capacity bookings.

“With the LNG terminal in Stade, we are ready to play a major part in diversifying Germany’s energy supply,” explains Johann Killinger from HEH.