Germany has signed a five-year contract for an FSRU, with US-listed Excelerate Energy.
“The deployment of the FSRU Excelsior to Germany demonstrates our commitment to strengthening energy security at a time when traditional energy sources have proven unreliable,” said Excelerate president and CEO Steven Kobos.
“FSRUs have the ability to offer flexible access to greater supply diversification and can serve as a complementary backstop for the rapid scaling of green energy projects. These benefits are consistent with the stated goals of the US-EU Task Force on Energy Security.”
The Excelsior FSRU will go on charter in the first quarter of 2023, at Wilhelmshaven.
Excelerate had planned to send this FSRU to Albania, under the Vlora LNG terminal plan.
Kobos signed the contract at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), with state secretary Patrick Graichen. US charge d’affaires Woodward Clark Price, from the US embassy, also attended.
Excelerate noted plans from BMWK for Germany’s fifth FSRU, under a consortium of Tree Energy Solutions (TES), E.ON and Engie.
The FSRU is intended to accelerate the development of TES’ plans for a green hydrogen terminal at Wilhelmshaven.
The Excelsior can store 138,000 cubic metres of LNG and send out 5 billion cubic metres per year. It will go into drydock at the end of the year before deploying to Germany.
The FSRU is currently moored at the Hadera deepwater terminal, off Israel. The vessel began operations off Israel in 2012, under an agreement with the Israel Electric Corp. (IEC).