By Michael Sauerbier
Gas alarm in holiday paradise! Two people from Potsdam want to build a liquid gas terminal between Rügen’s chalk cliffs and the Baltic Sea resort of Binz. With the blessing of Economics Minister Robert Habeck (53, Greens).
On the left the Sassnitz cliffs, on the right the bathing beach in Binz. Gas tankers are scheduled to dock in the port of Mukran from December. On Wednesday, Ingo Wagner (“Deutsche ReGas”) from Potsdam signed the contract for a huge terminal ship with the federal government.
“Transgas Power” is to vaporize liquid gas from tankers into pipeline gas in Mukran. According to the plan, it will be pumped to Lubmin through a 50-kilometer underwater pipeline. This is where the OPAL natural gas network begins, which supplies the whole of East Germany.
ReGas boss Wagner has already built a gas terminal in Lubmin with his Potsdam neighbor Stephan Knabe. Another Potsdamer came to the opening: Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65, SPD). Now ReGas wants to move the terminal to Rügen, with double the capacity. Boy: “Because Mukran has a deep sea port.”
The federal government has approved the project, and the Bundestag intends to pass the necessary law at the beginning of July. But the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has to approve the pipeline and terminal. Economics Minister Reinhard Meyer (63, SPD) demands money from Habeck – to convince the people of Rügan.
Ingo Wagner (lo) and Stephan Knabe (right) are planning a liquid gas terminal in Mukran Photo: picture alliance / Geisler-Fotopress
Local residents, environmentalists and tourism professionals are protesting against the gas factory. They fear damage to nature from the pipeline and fewer vacationers. Because ships and the terminal can be seen and heard from the chalk cliffs to the Binz beach.
“There were complaints about noise in Lubmin,” admits Knabe, “that’s why we want to build a noise-insulated power plant in Mukran.” In future, ReGas wants to produce hydrogen in Lubmin. Climate-neutral with the Baltic Sea wind.