BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The plans of the traffic light coalition for the accelerated construction of liquid gas terminals have cleared the next hurdle. Late on Thursday evening, the Bundestag passed a law with which certain procedural steps in the approval of so-called LNG terminals can be bypassed. Now only the approval of the Federal Council is missing.
The project aims to reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian gas. One alternative is liquefied natural gas (LNG), for which the necessary infrastructure has so far been lacking. Therefore, the construction of floating and fixed LNG terminals is to be accelerated by allowing the approval authorities to temporarily omit certain procedural steps, especially in the environmental impact assessment. The first floating LNG terminal is scheduled to go into operation in Wilhelmshaven before the end of the year.
The law by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) passed the Bundestag without dissenting votes – only AfD and Left abstained. However, criticism comes from the green youth. Their federal spokesman Timon Dzienus told the editorial network Germany that the need for the liquid gas infrastructure for a transitional period is understandable. “But this transition period must be short and the law must be more limited.”/ax/hrz/DP/he