Germany should build LNG terminals to increase supply security – opinion

The dual phase-out of nuclear and coal power in Germany means the country has to increasingly rely on natural gas to complement its power production from renewable sources but unlike other major European countries, the world’s second largest gas importer does not possess its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal for gas shippings, James Byrne and Maximilian Scheunemann write in an opinion piece in Handelsblatt Global. Imports arrive almost exclusively via pipelines from Russia, Norway and the Netherlands, but “this is detrimental for both energy security and the German consumer, who would benefit from increased competition in the gas market”, they say. Global LNG trade is set to grow fast, the authors argue, and greater variety in supply must be a vital interest for German policymakers.

Read the article in English here.

For background, see the CLEW factsheet Gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 links Germany to Russia, but splits Europe, and the dossier The role of gas in Germany's energy transition.