It was just over a year ago that Germany's first LNG terminal at Voslapper Groden near Wilhelmshaven went into operation. Writing a new chapter in our history, the Uniper LNG terminal was set up in record time or—as we now often say—at German speed. After a construction period of just nine months, it went into operation on December 21, 2022. Now is a good time to take a look back and review the first year of operation.

As overall project manager, Dr. Christian Janzen was responsible for what the large team of employees achieved by the end of 2022: construction of a floating landing terminal for liquefied natural gas in Wilhelmshaven in record time. Now that the project is complete, Dr. Janzen has a new role. "Of course, there is still work to be done on the project to optimize smooth operation. But today I have more of an observational and supporting role," he says — though this really does not do justice to his current position. The LNG terminal is operated on behalf of a German federally owned company, Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), and Janzen acts as the intermediary between the two.

Uniper's LNG Terminal Covers Six Percent of Gas Consumption in Germany

The balance sheet for the first year of operation is impressive. Seven million cubic meters of LNG were delivered to the terminal in 2023, converted into around four billion cubic meters of natural gas and fed into the German gas network. The LNG terminal therefore covers around six percent of current German gas consumption. "Since January, we have received an LNG tanker every seven to eight days, transshipped the LNG from the tanker to the Höegh Esperanza (a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit [FSRU]), regasified it and fed it into the German natural gas network. We have therefore contributed to the security of supply within Germany," says Dr. Janzen. "There were of course a few teething problems, such as optimizing technical processes, but overall the operation ran very smoothly from the outset without any major disruptions."

Offshore Environment Requires Special Conditions

By teething problems, Dr. Christian Janzen is referring to matters such as the automatic fire-extinguishing system at the LNG terminal. The flame detectors had to be adapted to the conditions in the offshore area and adapted to fog, for example. An extreme storm prior to Christmas 2023 also required some additional safety measures at the terminal.

"We are in an offshore environment. The team must adapt to this and take technical requirements into account." The weather conditions in December last year were a particular challenge. "During the storms we had to assess: How high are the waves? How strong is the wind? Finally, in one case, we decided to halt regasification for a short time," explains Janzen. At the time, the team carried out all technical interventions to cope with the weather conditions. "There is a Terminal Operating Manual that specifies exactly under which conditions the terminal is to be operated and how. If there is a storm, no LNG tanker is allowed to dock. The regasification—or "send-out"—is stopped at a wind speed of more than 8 Bft, so that nothing bad happens," he recalls. "This involved closing all valves to put the terminal in a safe state." Moments like this are the exception in Wilhelmshaven. The team—half of whom were involved in the construction phase—successfully overcame these challenges.

LNG Terminal in Wilhelmshaven: A Personal Project for Everyone Involved

"Those that took part in the project still talk enthusiastically about having created something unique," says Dr. Christian Janzen, who also has a sparkle in his eyes. The important nature of the project created a whole new way of working together. "The relevance of the project for energy supply, its unique nature and the speed drove us all — not only within the Uniper team, but also the suppliers and government agencies."

In describing the pragmatic approach and hands-on mentality of all those involved, Dr. Janzen puts it quite simply: "We have always worked rapidly on solutions and not focused on the problem." So there were no delays for the suppliers due to add-ons. "One thing was clear: We needed to get the project going and couldn't linger over minor details." Time and again, the term "German speed" is used in relation to the construction of the liquefied natural gas terminal. The entire project team played a part in this, as did the public authorities. "The authorities worked day and night. The project was, quite simply, a priority."

Although the construction phase was an exceptional situation, it led to lasting changes in processes and procedures, Dr. Janzen reveals. "We have optimized expediting — that is, securing and accelerating delivery deadlines. This will also have an impact on the project to come."

The Green Future of the Wilhelmshaven Site

The floating LNG terminal was built for ten years of operation. "Natural gas is a bridging technology to turn the tide toward green energy." Additional unloading and handling options for green gases are planned. Green ammonia will be landed at Wilhelmshaven from 2030 in order to exploit the full potential of the site. "As part of Uniper's green transformation, we are focusing on hydrogen production and on importing green ammonia. We are already in talks with the German Federal Government on the financing of maritime infrastructure, Niedersachsen Ports, the port infrastructure company of the State of Lower Saxony. We are currently focused on the planning work and the technical concepts."

Uniper has earmarked eight billion euro in Group investment for its green transformation by 2030. Part of this involves transforming Wilhelmshaven into an energy hub. But until that time, the floating terminal will continue its reliable role of receiving LNG and thus contribute to the security of supply in Germany. The terminal capacities are already planned for this year. The "Höegh Esperanza" will be utilized in full.

About Uniper

Düsseldorf-based Uniper is an international energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. With around 7,000 employees, it makes an important contribution to security of supply in Europe. Uniper’s core businesses are power generation in Europe, global energy trading, and a broad gas portfolio. Uniper procures gas – including liquefied natural gas (LNG) – and other energy sources on global markets. The company owns and operates gas storage facilities with a capacity of more than 7 billion cubic meters. Uniper plans for its 22.5 GW of installed power-generating capacity in Europe to be carbon-neutral by 2035. The company already ranks among Europe’s largest operators of hydroelectric plants and intends to further expand solar and wind energy, which are essential for a more sustainable and autonomous future.

Uniper is a reliable partner for communities, municipal utilities, and industrial enterprises for planning and implementing innovative, lower-carbon solutions on their decarbonization journey. Uniper is a hydrogen pioneer, is active worldwide along the entire hydrogen value chain, and is conducting projects to make hydrogen a mainstay of the energy supply.