Lawsuits against connection for LNG terminal dismissed

The approval for the connection pipeline for the controversial Rügen terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is legal in the opinion of the Federal Administrative Court. The court in Leipzig dismissed complaints by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Nabu). The waiver of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the approval was lawful because the Rügen terminal serves to overcome a gas supply crisis, the court announced on Thursday.

DUH and Nabu had sued for the planning approval decision from August 2023 to be revoked. They had already failed with urgent applications aimed at stopping construction before the Leipzig court last year.

In view of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the federal government had pushed ahead with the expansion of its own import infrastructure for LNG in order to become less dependent on Russian gas. With the LNG Acceleration Act, the legislator has created the possibility of waiving an environmental impact assessment.

Gas shortage situation still applies

The court wrote that the accelerated approval of the first sea section of the pipeline was suitable for making a relevant contribution to overcoming the ongoing gas supply crisis as a result of the cessation of Russian gas supplies and the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines. "The alert level of the gas emergency plan applied at the time of the planning approval decision and continues to apply."

Critics have long argued that there is no longer a gas shortage, that the Rügen terminal creates unneeded overcapacity and harms the environment and nature. The federal government has defended it with reference to energy supply security.

Full capacity by the summer

The approximately 50-kilometre-long connecting pipeline through the Baltic Sea has been completed and connects the Rügen terminal with the gas pipeline hub on the mainland in Lubmin. The special ship "Energos Power" is already moored in the port of Mukran and has been feeding gas into the pipeline in trial operation since the beginning of March. In future, it is to receive LNG delivered by ship together with another so-called regasification ship, convert it and feed it in via the connection pipeline. According to earlier information, regular operations are to begin by mid-May at the latest and full capacity is to be achieved by the summer.

The latest decision from Leipzig means that the last word has not yet been spoken in connection with the LNG terminal. The municipality of Binz, which is not far from the terminal, had announced that it would take legal action against the approval of regular operations before the Federal Administrative Court and file an urgent appeal against the operation. According to earlier information, the DUH is also considering such a step.