Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Handelsblatt: RWE to import LNG to Germany (RWE bringt Flussiggas nach Deutschland)
June 27, 2007
Handelsblatt
German utilities group RWE is planning to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly into Germany in future. The company, which is aiming to expand its position on the gas market, wants to find new sources of supply as an alternative to imports of Russian gas by pipeline. RWE announced yesterday that it is to construct a landing station for LNG in Wilhelmshaven together with two partners, US company Excelerate Energy and German company Nord-West Oelleitung.
At the landing station, the gas, which will have been transported in liquid form by ship, will be processed and fed directly into the German network. RWE says that Excelerate's technology is very cost-efficient. LNG was not competitive in Germany for years as the country was well-connected to Russia and the North Sea by pipeline; in the last few years, however, LNG has grown increasingly cheap. The new station is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. It is estimated that it will be able to feed up to 600,000 cu m of gas into the German network every hour.
