TES fast-tracks green gas terminal in Germany

The original project was initiated in 2019, and TES says the fast-tracking will provide alternative energy security for Germany and Europe whilst accelerating the growth of green gas imports, particularly green hydrogen, over time.

The company is now planning an operational start of phase 1 by winter 2025 – including six independent tanks combined with six ship-berths and using a novel approach to ensure minimal environmental and visual impact.

TES anticipates that its Wilhelmshaven project will account for 10% of the total annual primary energy demand of Germany by 2045, approximately the annual energy consumption of 43 million households in the country.

TES green hydrogen will be primarily produced using solar, wind and hydro power in countries with abundant renewable energy sources, after which CO₂ will be added to make green methane which will be used as the energy carrier. This will then be transported to Wilhelmshaven on a specially constructed fleet of ships. At Wilhelmshaven, the green methane can be converted back into green hydrogen, with the resulting CO₂ being captured and returned to the producing countries by ship in a continuous closed-loop system. This way TES guarantees that the CO₂ never leaves the cycle and GHG emissions are avoided.

In the initial phase of 25 TWh per year of green gas import, more than 0.5 million tonnes of hydrogen could be produced and imported in Wilhelmshaven. This will rise to 250 TWh per year and more than 5 million tonnes of hydrogen in a final stage.

TES confirms that an acceleration of its project will be fully consistent with and supportive of the strategic priorities of sustainability and diversification of energy supply, by accommodating the handling of gas imports alongside imports of green gas in the early stages.

Paul van Poecke, Founder and Managing Director at TES, said: “The TES Wilhelmshaven project is unique in its ability to achieve Germany’s and Europe’s plans to decarbonise in a sustainable way at an industrial scale whilst carefully and prudently navigating the current energy crisis. We want to boldly drive forward energy transition with the aim of making Germany’s energy supply CO₂ neutral. This will be achieved by developing Wilhelmshaven as a green energy hub.

“The latest developments do not interfere with the energy targets to be met by 2045. Already Bundeskanzler Scholz mentioned how Germany sees to support the development of an import terminal in Wilhelmshaven with hydrogen potential. TES believes that its fully sustainable Wilhelmshaven project deserves at least the same if not stronger support compared to alternative traditional LNG terminal initiatives considering the concurrent climate-crisis.”