Deutsche Umwelthilfe challenges new LNG terminal site in Brunsbüttel

The environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has initiated legal proceedings against a planned new site for a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Brunsbüttel. According to DUH, the application submitted by Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET) for the facility's operation is incomplete and partly based on outdated documentation.

DUH questions the necessity of a new site, as the current floating terminal already operates from a different location in Brunsbüttel with a permit valid until the end of 2027. A land-based LNG terminal is planned thereafter. The organization is urging the relevant authorities in Schleswig-Holstein to reject the application for the new facility.

"The reasons for needing a new site for the LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel so shortly before the planned operational end are not clear from the incomplete application documents," stated Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Federal Managing Director of DUH. "The operator appears to want to establish permanent additional port infrastructure under the guise of security of supply – without proven need, but with significant impacts on local residents." DUH argues that noise and nature conservation should not be compromised for purported economic interests.

The organization also highlights potential noise disturbances for nearby residents, which could exceed permissible limits. A proposed noise barrier, up to 14 meters high, is doubted by DUH for its effectiveness and feasibility. Furthermore, deficiencies in the environmental impact assessments are criticized, as they rely on outdated data and inadequate methodologies, particularly concerning protected species like the harbor porpoise and the otter.