Plans for German liquefied natural gas terminals are massively oversized

The NewClimate Institute reports that Germany's plans for eleven LNG terminals with a 73 bcm annual capacity are massively oversized and conflict with national and international climate targets. The report suggests that energy efficiency and existing pipeline imports could eliminate the need for new terminals, and that current plans risk creating stranded assets and diverting resources from renewable energy expansion.

• The construction and operation of all currently planned LNG terminals would conflict with Germany's national climate targets and constitute a breach of national legislation and international commitments under the Paris Agreement.
• Germany's gas consumption in 2022 is estimated at 83 bcm, a decrease of approximately 12% from 2021, driven by mild temperatures and energy efficiency measures. To achieve climate neutrality by 2045, consumption must decrease by about a fifth by 2030 and by half by 2035.
• Germany's current strategy involves eleven LNG terminals with a total capacity of about 73 bcm per year, which is 50% more than the 46 bcm per year previously sourced from Russia before the war.
• If net pipeline imports decline to 75 bcm in 2023 and then drop by 3% annually, the gap between demand and imports would be no more than 15 bcm per year until 2035. This gap could be managed through more ambitious reductions or three floating terminals (FSRUs), meaning no terminals would be needed after 2035.
• Building all planned terminals creates a risk of stranded assets, as Germany would have the capacity to import nearly two-thirds more fossil gas than it currently consumes. Because pipeline gas is cheaper, it is likely to be preferred over LNG imports.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2022). Plans for German liquefied natural gas terminals are massively oversized. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/plans-for-german-liquefied-natural-gas-terminals-are-massively-oversized

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Plans for German liquefied natural gas terminals are massively oversized. 2022. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/plans-for-german-liquefied-natural-gas-terminals-are-massively-oversized.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Plans for German liquefied natural gas terminals are massively oversized |date=13 December 2022 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/plans-for-german-liquefied-natural-gas-terminals-are-massively-oversized |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2022plans, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Plans for German liquefied natural gas terminals are massively oversized}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/plans-for-german-liquefied-natural-gas-terminals-are-massively-oversized}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }