Accelerating the gas value chain
This contract award follows the announcement that the TES Wilhelmshaven Green Gas Terminal has been included to the list of priority projects backed by Germany's LNG Acceleration law, which was passed in May of this year and aims to strengthen Germany's energy security by 2025. Wilhelmshaven is positioned to import 8.5% of Germany's natural gas demand and will be at the centre of future decarbonisation efforts beginning in 2025.
To provide immediate energy security for Europe, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection selected TES in early September to develop and implement Germany's fifth Floating Storage Regasification Unit in the autumn of 2023.
The delivery from ECOnnect Energy will be the critical link between offshore gas storage units to the onshore terminal, initially importing as much as 16-20 billion cubic metres and accommodating 1,600,000 cubic metres for regasification and direct connection to the Open Grid Europe (OGE) gas grid.
Enabling long-term zero-carbon energy import
Simultaneously from 2025, the Gas Terminal will serve as the key entry point for clean, safe, inexpensive, and plentiful energy in Europe, as well as a catalyst for a circular carbon economy. TES's approach aims to transform wind and sun into sustainable and cost-effective eNG, integrating green hydrogen and circular CO₂ using existing infrastructure to bring green, secure energy to Europe.
In a circular, closed-loop, zero-carbon system, the CO₂ will act as a carrier to enable green hydrogen imports: when the gas reaches Germany, it will be captured and delivered back to the area where the green hydrogen is produced.
Jettyless gas infrastructure
In 2025, TES will reuse the IQuay system for liquid CO₂ export for hydrogen production, effectively closing the industrial emissions loop by utilising CO₂ for clean hydrogen applications. The reuse of the infrastructure offers further “green” material conservation credentials to Wilhelmshaven.
“The IQuay solution allows for incredibly fast installation and natural gas import into Wilhelmshaven, while also enabling a future hydrogen hub,” said Morten Christophersen, CEO at ECONNECT Energy, “we are proud that our flexible import solution is consistent with TES’s vision to address Germany’s immediate energy demand and also its long-term carbon-neutral energy import strategy.”
Jens Schmidt, Chief Technology Officer at TES, said: “We are delighted to work in close collaboration with ECOnnect Energy to harness the innovative IQuay jettyless technology, a cutting-edge solution which will fast track the implementation of a resilient and renewable energy infrastructure as well as enabling our green hydrogen value chain. This will help pave the way to deliver immediate and long-term energy security for Europe in a timely and cost-effective manner with minimal environmental impact.”
