DET Starts Commercial Operations at Second LNG Terminal in Germany

Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH’s (DET) second liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, has started commercial operations.

The Wilhelmshaven 02 terminal, along with the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Excelsior, is fully operational and able to contribute to filling gas storage facilities before the next heating season, DET said in a news release.

Excelsior, built in 2005 by Excelerate Energy, is 909 feet (277 meters) long and has a storage capacity of 4.9 million cubic feet (138,000 cubic meters), with a regasification capacity of up to 500 million standard cubic feet per day. Located on the Wilhelmshaven 2 pier with access to the North Sea, the vessel is under a five-year charter by DET, the company said.

Regasification capacity for the rest of the year and 2026 was fully allocated to traders, DET said.

In 2025, Excelsior will feed up to 1.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas into the German gas grid. This corresponds to the annual natural gas consumption for heating 1.5 million four-person households in multi-family homes, DET said.

In the next two years, Excelsior’s regasification and grid feed-in capacity will then reach up to 4.6 billion cubic meters each, equivalent to the annual heating energy required by up to 3.7 million four-person households, according to the release.

DET Managing Director Peter Röttgen said, “Wilhelmshaven 02 combines several technologies that are unique in Germany and Europe, from the FSRU to onshore feed-in. On the one hand, there is ECOnnect’s flexible pipeline system for the direct transfer of natural gas to land without a pipe bridge. This has significantly reduced the impact on the seabed ecosystem. On the other hand, the ultrasonic process for cleaning the FSRU’s seawater pipeline system, which is unique in Europe, has now been put into operation. We would like to thank everyone involved for this successful transition to commercial operation and for their outstanding work”.

Excelerate Energy COO David Liner said, “We are honored to support the successful commercial launch of the Wilhelmshaven02 terminal alongside our partners at DET. The terminal’s innovative design – including an advanced gas export system and Europe’s first ultrasonic anti-fouling technology – demonstrates the strength of our technical capabilities and commitment to operational excellence. As a global leader in delivering reliable energy infrastructure for sovereigns around the world, Excelerate is proud to contribute to Germany’s energy security and the broader European energy transition”.

Onsite terminal operations will be handled by Gasfin Services GmbH, while Lithuanian LNG company KN Energies will lead commercial management as well as the technical operations and maintenance of the terminal, the release said.

Gasfin Managing Director Danny van Schie said, “Following Gasfin’s intensive role as consultant during the planning and implementation phases, the official takeover of operations management, and a successful trial run, we are all the more pleased to now begin commercial operations. Wilhelmshaven 02 is already the second terminal – after Brunsbüttel – for which Gasfin is responsible for operational management on behalf of DET. This milestone clearly demonstrates how technical expertise and collaborative partnership can create high-performance infrastructure for energy supply – contributing to a secure and stable energy system in Germany and Europe”.

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