Stade LNG developer to launch non-binding open season 'in coming weeks'

London — Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH), the developer of the planned LNG import terminal at Stade in northern Germany, plans to launch "in the coming weeks" the non-binding phase of an open season to gauge market interest in the facility.

A binding phase for capacity bids is then expected to be launched at the end of Q1 2021, HEH commercial and regulatory director Danielle Stoves told S&P Global Platts Nov. 17.

The 12 Bcm/year onshore Stade LNG terminal is the largest of three LNG plants under development in northern Germany, according to the current project concepts.

However, Uniper this month said it was it was re-evaluating its planned 10 Bcm/year floating LNG import terminal at Wilhelmshaven after market players showed lukewarm interest in booking long-term capacity at the plant.

And a final decision on the planned 8 Bcm/year German LNG Terminal (GLT) at Brunsbuettel in northern Germany is now only expected in the first half of 2021, according to utility RWE, which plans to take most of the capacity at the facility.

Letters of intent

In early September, HEH said it had already signed letters of intent with nine global market players interested in taking capacity at the facility.

"One of the key advantages of our project when we are talking to potential customers is that they can see how Hanseatic Energy Hub's project fits into their portfolio now and the potential for it to evolve going forward," Stoves said.

She added that the location of the planned terminal "brings together all the elements needed for future energy solutions in the longer term."

In an interview with Platts in September, Stoves said Stade had a number of competitive advantages including that it will be located on a brownfield site at the Dow industrial park and be zero emissions as it will use waste heat from Dow's processes to regasify the LNG.

"That's a key advantage of the location and the concept," Stoves said, adding that there is also local demand in the area for gas, as well as LNG by road and river, and only a short distance to tie into Gasunie Deutschland's pipeline network.