Enagás has landed in the German gas market after closing the acquisition of 10% of the shares of GmbH (HEH), a consortium in which it participates as an industrial partner and which is building the Stade regasification plant, key for the supply of liquefied natural gas ( LNG) in the largest economy in Europe and which will involve a planned investment volume of about 1,000 million euros, the company reported.
Thus, Enagás becomes part of a consortium formed by the Buss Group (founding shareholder), Partners Group (on behalf of its clients), and the industrial partner Dow.
The group led by Arturo Gonzalo will contribute its experience as one of the main transport system operators (TSO) in Europe in the development and operation of energy infrastructure, including CO2-neutral LNG terminals, assuming a leadership role in plant operations.
The operation already has approval from the German regulator (BNetzA) and has received Competition Authorization from the European Union.
Stade (Germany) will be the location of one of the German Government’s Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU), operated by Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), and a land terminal for liquefied gases, which will also be prepared to operate with green ammonia.
Gonzalo considers that Enagás’ entry into Germany as an industrial partner in HEH “fits perfectly with the objectives established in the company’s strategic plan to contribute to the security of energy supply and the decarbonization of Europe.”
Likewise, he recalled that Enagás, together with the TSOs of Portugal and France, presented to the call for Projects of Common European Interest (PCI) the first European project for a hydrogen corridor, H2Med, “after a historic agreement that “Germany also joined, which is firmly committed to renewable hydrogen for the decarbonization of its industry.”
Technologies brought together by FCC, consortium to develop the project
HEH commissioned a consortium led by Técnicas Reunidas, a specialist in international ‘EPC’, to develop the land terminal, subject to the final investment decision. Other members of the consortium are the FCC group and Entrade GmbH.
The company has already contracted 10 bcm (billion cubic meters) per year of long-term LNG capacity with Enbw and SEFE. The objective of the project is to develop a flexible modular system for the transition to green energy in the industrial park of Stade, where Dow is already the largest European producer of hydrogen by electrolysis. This location also offers the possibility of creating synergies with the chemical, logistics and energy sectors.
Project progress
In a first phase, from the end of 2023 and until the entry into operation of the land terminal, Stade will also be the site of one of the five Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRU) chartered by the Government of Germany.
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The works on the land superstructure – formed by the discharge arms and the connecting gas pipeline – of the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) being developed by HEH, are progressing according to planning and are expected to be completed in December. with the aim of getting the infrastructure up and running this winter.
In the second phase, starting in 2027, LNG and renewable energy sources such as bioLNG and synthetic natural gas (SNG) can be imported from the land terminal. The planned regasification capacity is 13.3 bcm per year. The terminal, the port, the industrial park and the connecting infrastructures are designed for the use of ammonia in the future after a small adaptation.