Liquefied natural gas can be landed on the island of Rügen and, after being converted into gas, injected into the German distribution network. According to the Ministry of the Environment in Schwerin, the Western Pomeranian State Environment Agency on Tuesday approved the regular operation of the terminal at the port of Mukran. When the permit is handed over to operator Deutsche ReGas on Wednesday, the permit will come into force, a ministry spokesperson said.
Terminal already in test operation
The controversial terminal located on the east coast of the Baltic Sea island is already in trial operation. In the future, two so-called regasification vessels will collect liquefied natural gas, transform it and transport it via an approximately 50 kilometer-long pipeline in the Baltic Sea to the entry point in Lubmin near Greifswald.
According to the authorization documents, the Mukran terminal is important for the security of supply in Germany. According to a note from the State Office of Agriculture and Environment of Western Pomerania, this also justifies the much criticized renunciation of an environmental impact assessment.
Critics warn of pressure on ecosystems
Critics such as Deutsche Umwelthilfe doubt that this terminal is necessary to supply enough gas to Germany. Like tourism experts and local politicians, they see the danger of the ecosystems in and around Rügen coming under unnecessary pressure. The Federal Director General of Environmental Aid, Sascha Müller-Kraenner, announced that, if necessary, he would appeal the approval to the courts to prevent this. The coastal town of Binz had also confirmed its intention to file a lawsuit.
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