Germany Receives First LNG Shipment From Louisiana Producer Venture Global
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship Maria Energy, loaded with about 170,000 cubic meters of LNG, departed from Venture Global’s liquefaction facility in Cameron, La., on December 19, 2022. Twelve days later, on January 3, the ship arrived at Germany’s new LNG terminal in Wilhemshaven, making it the first fully laden LNG ship to call on the terminal, which is operated by Uniper.
According to Venture Global, the 170,000 cubic meters of LNG is enough to supply the energy needs of about 50,000 German households for a full year.
“Venture Global is very proud to supply the first full cargo of LNG ever delivered to Germany, and we congratulate Uniper and the German government for their swift action to build the infrastructure needed to make this historic day possible,” Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel said. “As strategic partners, we look forward to providing long-term security of energy supply to our allies through the continued delivery of clean and reliable U.S. LNG.”
Construction on the Wilhemshaven terminal, located on the North Sea, began in 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent restrictions of natural gas from Russia to Germany via the Nord Stream pipelines. The terminal officially opened December 17, 2022, and full commercial operations are expected to begin later this month. A second LNG terminal at Brunsbüttel, near the mouth of the Elbe River, is expected to come online this month as well.
“The use of LNG as a reliable energy source is crucial for the security of supply for Germany and Europe,” said Nick den Hollander, chief commercial officer of Uniper. “We are committed to contribute our part by bringing more LNG to the European market and especially the Wilhelmsaven and Brunsbüttel Regas terminals.”
Venture Global began producing LNG at its Calcasieu Pass facility in early 2022. The company has another terminal currently under construction on the west bank of the Mississippi River, near Mile 55 in Plaquemines Parish.
