While the market for using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel in long-distance haulage has been experiencing a boom in Europe for a while, the distribution of liquefied natural gas is only really starting now to gain momentum in Germany. Compared to countries such as Spain, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands and China too, there is still enormous potential and a lot of catching up to do especially since, according to a forecast by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), hauling capacity in Germany will grow by at least 39% by 2030 compared to 2010.

“Vehicles fuelled by LNG are perfectly suited to use in long-haul transport. Not only do LNG-fuelled engines produce much lower air pollutant emissions, they are also considerably quieter and therefore make it possible to carry out deliveries in residential areas outside of normal times of day, which could help to solve traffic density problems,” explains Friedrich Lesche, Business Development Alternative Drives, Iveco Magirus AG. LNG engines could also run on renewable, biogenic or synthetic LNG, i.e. climate-neutral LNG, without any problem. Furthermore, any air/fuel ratio (blend) of fossil, biogenic and/or synthetically produced LNG is possible without difficulty. “However, to achieve this, in Germany, we need more investments in the creation and expansion of an infrastructure for the use of LNG as an alternative fuel,” Lesche adds. With almost 10,000 LNG-fuelled delivery trucks, IVECO is the market leader in European long-distance haulage.

LNG: determining factor for the decarbonisation of the transport sector

“LNG as a fuel makes a significant contribution to reducing air pollutant emissions in the mobility sector”, states Rolf Brouwer, Managing Director of German LNG Terminal GmbH. “We want to invest in an LNG infrastructure in Brunsbüttel so that we are able to efficiently and competitively meet the increasing demand with Germany’s first import terminal for LNG."

LNG can be used as a fuel for heavy goods vehicles, buses and seagoing and inland vessels, as process gas for industrial companies or, after having been returned to the gaseous aggregate state by using heat, it can be fed into the national natural gas network. It can be transported to consumers via the gas network infrastructure and used in heating systems or, for example, in combined heating and power stations to generate electricity.

Wealth of experience – German LNG and the shareholding companies

German LNG Terminal GmbH is a joint venture between Dutch companies Gasunie LNG Holding B.V., Vopak LNG Holding B.V. and Oiltanking GmbH, a subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls AG, Hamburg, Germany. The aim of the joint venture is to build and operate a multifunctional import and distribution terminal for liquefied natural gas in Brunsbüttel. The project is already attracting consistently strong interest, and it has already been possible to sign a number of framework agreements.

The terminal 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 and LNG tank cars.

About German LNG Terminal

German LNG Terminal GmbH is a joint venture of the Dutch companies Gasunie LNG Holding B.V., Vopak LNG Holding B.V. and Oiltanking GmbH, a subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls AG, Hamburg. The purpose of the joint venture is the construction and operation of a multifunctional import and distribution terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Brunsbüttel. The project is already attracting sustained interest. German LNG Terminal has already concluded a number of Head of agreements.

The terminal will provide a range of services: loading and unloading of LNG carriers, temporary storage of LNG, regasification, injection into the German natural gas grid and distribution by tanker trucks and LNG railcar.

About Oiltanking

Oiltanking GmbH is a subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls, a Hamburg-based company that operates in the fields of energy supply, trading and logistics. Oiltanking is one of the largest independent tank storage providers for petroleum products, chemicals and gases worldwide. The company owns and operates 76 terminals in 25 countries within Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, India, and the Asia-Pacific region. Oiltanking has an overall storage capacity of 20 million cbm.