The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the companies Uniper, RWE and EnBW/VNG have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the supply of the floating LNG terminals in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven. This is to create planning certainty for the supply and operation of the specialised vessels that serve as terminals and to regasify liquefied natural gas, the Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs). The aim is to make full use of these specialised vessels immediately after they are put into operation in the winter 2022/23. The companies which have signed the MoU have committed themselves to provide the necessary quantities of gas.

The two terminals will be provisionally operated by Uniper and RWE until a special-purpose entity takes over. Apart from Uniper and RWE, ENBW, or more specifically its subsidiary VNG, will also be responsible for the supply of the FSRUs, which will make a major contribution to the security of gas supply from the turn of the year 2022/23. To make this contribution as great as possible, full use must be made of the capacities of the FSRUs right from their commissioning. With an annual regasification capacity of up to 12.5 billion m3, the terminals offer the possibility to directly use natural gas for the German market from regions which are not connected via gas pipelines. They will thus increase security of supply and make Germany less dependent on imports of gas through pipelines.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck welcomes this approach. He said: "Imports of liquefied natural gas reduce our dependency on Russian pipeline gas. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, these efforts have continued to be indispensable. This spring, the German Federal Government therefore chartered four FSRUs. The first two are to come into operation in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven at the turn of the year 2022/23. We are fully on track with the schedule set out for the planning and the construction works. The MoU provides the necessary certainty that full use can be made of these FSRUs in the coming two winters to make the greatest contribution possible to security of supply in Germany and in Europe."

The corresponding legally binding contracts will be finalised as soon as possible. The companies which have signed the MoU have expressed their intention to deliver as much LNG as possible in the period from the turn of the year 2022/23 until 31 March 2024. The establishment of a special-purpose entity which will in future be in charge of operating all FSRUs chartered by the Federal Government is currently being prepared.