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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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German Government News

28 Feb 2024

German Warship Shoots Down Two Drones in the Red Sea

(Photo: Yvonne Albert, courtesy Bundeswehr / Leon Rodewald)

A German warship shot down two drones in the Red Sea on Tuesday amid escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthis and efforts by the European Union to protect international shipping, German officials said.Shipping risks have increased due to repeated strikes by the Iran-aligned Houthis in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait since November in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.U.S. and British forces have responded with several airstrikes on Houthi facilities but have so far failed to halt the attacks.The German navy frigate Hessen…

22 Feb 2024

German Government Funds Rotor Sail Install on Baltrader Cement Carrier

(Image: Norsepower)

The German government is providing funding to support the installation of an auxiliary wind propulsion system on board a cement carrier vessel.Hamburg-based Baltrader Capital GmbH & Co. KG. has signed a contract with wind propulsion systems provider Norsepower for the delivery of one 24m x 4m sized rotor sail in summer 2024. The product will be fitted on the newest cement carrier of the Baltrader fleet, Cemcommander, designed by SDC Ship Design & Consultants GmbH and built by Jiangsu Zhenjiang Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd.The Norsepower rotor sail is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor.

19 Feb 2024

German Government Approves Military Participation in EU Red Sea Mission

(Photo: Yvonne Albert, courtesy Bundeswehr / Leon Rodewald)

The German government has approved the deployment of armed forces in a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia, a government spokesperson said on Friday.Many commercial shippers have diverted vessels following attacks by the Houthis, who control much of Yemen and say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war in Gaza."The ongoing escalation of violence and the threat to life and limb of the crews of ships…

07 Feb 2024

Sweden Ends Nord Stream Sabotage Probe

© guteksk7 / Adobe Stock

Sweden on Wednesday dropped its investigation into the explosions in 2022 on Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Germany, saying it lacked jurisdiction in the case but had handed evidence it had uncovered over to German investigators.The multi-billion-dollar Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines transporting gas under the Baltic Sea were ruptured by a series of blasts in the Swedish and Danish economic zones in September 2022, releasing vast amounts of methane into the air.Russia and the West…

28 Dec 2023

Germany in Talks with EU Partners on Red Sea Maritime Mission

© Denys Yelmanov / Adobe Stock

Germany and its European Union partners are examining whether they could mount a new maritime mission to protect commercial vessels under threat of attack in the Red Sea, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday."We as the German government are ready for this. It is important that we as the EU are able to act as quickly as possible in view of the ongoing attacks," the spokesperson said, adding that a decision on the matter had not yet been taken.The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked or seized a dozen ships with missiles and drones since Nov.

12 Sep 2023

German Government Considering Minority Stake in TKMS

© Lars Gieger / Adobe Stock

The German government is considering taking a minority stake in Thyssenkrupp's warship division Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said during a visit to Kiel on Tuesday.The consideration process would take until the end of the year, Pistorius said, according to a defense ministry spokesperson.Thyssenkrupp is looking for a standalone future for TKMS, which builds submarines and frigates, and has mentioned a listing, partial sale, merger or joint venture as possibilities to reach its goal.Last week, a leading worker representative told Reuters that Berli

16 Oct 2023

Future Fuels: Methanol

(Image: Glosten)

Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuels…" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in Glasgow…

16 May 2023

Germany's LNG Import Terminals Tackle Challenges

A German government-backed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project at Mukran on Ruegen island in the Baltic Sea, near existing LNG reception facilities delivering into the mainland port of Lubmin, will be downsized.The quest for alternative imports intensified as the country sought to end reliance on Russian pipeline gas after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.Apart from gas, industry and the government are anticipating increased use of hydrogen, which when produced using renewable energy can help the transition to a lower carbon economy.Germany would need to import much of its hydrogen needs and the low density of the gas makes transportation over long distances complicated unless a carrier…

10 May 2023

Germany Approves Cosco Stake in Hamburg Port Terminal

© Wolfgang Jargstorff / Adobe Stock

Port logistics firm HHLA said on Wednesday the German government has cleared the purchase by China’s Cosco of a 24.9% stake in a container terminal in the sea port of Hamburg, amid a political row over Chinese investment in the German economy.A spokesperson for the German government said in a statement that Berlin had informed HHLA and Cosco that their reworked deal was compliant with a cabinet decision in the fall of last year that limits the ownership of Chinese state firm Cosco in the terminal to less than 25%.The deal was also in line with Berlin declaring the terminal, known as Tollerort,

12 Apr 2023

Partners Developing Methanol-fueled High-speed Marine Engine

(Photo: Rolls-Royce)

Three marine industry partners are working to develop a concept for a high-speed internal combustion engine for ships that can run on green methanol in a CO2-neutral manner.Rolls-Royce, Woodward L’Orange and WTZ Roßlau have been working since the beginning of 2023 on the new joint project “MeOHmare”, which is receiving eight million euros in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection.Dr. Daniel Chatterjee, responsible for technology strategy and sustainability at alliance coordinator Rolls-Royce Power Systems…

23 Mar 2023

HHLA Urges German Gov't to Approve Cosco Investment in Hamburg port

©M. Johannsen

German logistics firm HHLA on Thursday called on the German government to uphold its responsibility towards the port of Hamburg and finally approve an agreed investment of China's shipping firm Cosco.HHLA has been waiting for a final go-ahead from the economy ministry for 18 months and now expects to hear back soon, Chief Executive Angela Titzrath said. "We believe we have answered all the questions," she said at a presentation of HHLA's 2022 results. HHLA had implemented all the ministry's requirements for the contract with Cosco.

15 Feb 2023

UAE's ADNOC Delivers First LNG to German Floating LNG Terminal

©ADNOC

German utility RWE's trading arm received its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Brunsbuettel port from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Wednesday, saying the gas will be fed into to onshore pipelines from the end of this month.The cargo was delivered on the vessel ISH to the floating LNG terminal "Hoegh Gannet" at Brunsbuettel. The terminal was chartered by RWE on behalf of the German government as part of efforts to ensure supply after Russia cut exports.Germany…

06 Feb 2023

Windea Leibniz SOV Becomes CSOV after Upgrades by Ulstein

©BSM

The Service Operation Vessel (SOV) “Windea Leibniz” on Saturday completed an extensive upgrade at Ulstein Shipyard in Norway. The vessel is managed by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM)."With an increase of cabins from 60 to over 80, the vessel has transitioned from an SOV to a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV),"  Additionally, the ship received one extra pedestal on the stern for Baltic Sea operations to complement the existing pedestal for North Sea use. The upgrade expands the operational range of “Windea Leibniz” and makes her even more attractive for the offshore market…

19 Jan 2023

Hoegh Pens 10-year FSRU Charter Deal with Germany

Credit:Demosthenes Kyriakoulis/AdobeStock

Höegh LNG said Thursday it had signed a binding 10-year charter with the German government for the supply of the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Hoegh Gannet.The FSRU vessel will be based at the Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH-run Elbehafen LNG project in Brunsbüttel. The Elbehafen LNG project is developed by RWE and its subsidiary Elbehafen LNG in close cooperation with its partners, Höegh LNG. "We are proud to sign the second contract with the Federal Government…

11 Jan 2023

German Green Group Seeks to Cut Wilhelmshaven FSRU License by 10 Years

©Uniper

A German environmental group has lodged a complaint calling for the operating licence of a new floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Wilhelmshaven to be shortened by a decade citing its discharging of chlorine and risks to Germany's climate targets.Germany plans to use so-called Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRUs) to import LNG as it weans itself off of piped Russian gas. The group, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), said in a complaint to the commercial regulator in the state of Lower Saxony that the licence for the unit at Wilhelmshaven should end in 2032, not 2042.

03 Jan 2023

First Full LNG Cargo Arrives to Uniper's Wilhelmshaven LNG Terminal

Credit: Uniper

Today, Uniper brought Germany’s first full cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the new LNG terminal, operated by Uniper, in Wilhelmshaven.The LNG ship Maria Energy, owned by Tsakos Energy Navigation was loaded in Calcasieu Pass, USA, at the liquefaction facility of the LNG supplier Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC, on December 19, 2022.The Uniper LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven was opened on December 17, 2022. Via the Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) Höegh Esperanza…

16 Dec 2022

Höegh LNG in Talks to Supply More Regasification Vessels to Europe

(Photo: Höegh LNG)

Norway's Höegh LNG is in talks to supply more of its floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) to several European countries seeking alternatives to Russian gas, its CEO said.The sharp drop in piped Russian gas exports to Europe in the wake of the Ukraine war has resulted in a dash for FSRUs to allow diversification with liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.Höegh LNG has already committed five vessels, half of its FSRU fleet, to European projects, and combined they will provide 25-35 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year of regasification capacity next year, Erik Nyheim said in an intervi

15 Dec 2022

Höegh Esperanza, FSRU for Germany's First LNG Terminal Reaches Wilhelmshaven

The Höegh Esperanza floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), for Germany's first LNG terminal, has arrived in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, Uniper has informed."The arrival of the FSRU marks an important milestone shortly before the opening of Germany's first LNG terminal on December 17, 2022," Uniper said.The FSRU was previously loaded with around 165,000m³ of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Spain - enough to supply around 50,000 - 80,000 German households for a year. While it did bring the LNG, from now on, Höegh Esperanza will no longer bring the LNG to Wilhelmshaven itself. Its task is to regasify LNG delivered by other LNG carriers and to feed at least five bcm of natural gas into the German gas grid each year.

12 Dec 2022

Inside the Chinese Port Deal that Divided the German Government

© niemannfrank / Adobe Stock

The German government has become divided over a deal, agreed last month, which saw Chinese conglomerate Cosco invest in the Port of Hamburg. The deal had been in the works since September 2021 and was championed by the chancellor (and Hamburg’s former mayor), Olaf Scholz.Scholz’s coalition partners have been vocal in criticising the deal. Chief among them is Robert Habeck, Greens member and Scholz’s economics minister, who expressed his fear that Germany was becoming dependent on Chinese business.

31 Oct 2022

Germany's Scholz Defends Chinese Port Sale, Stresses Need to Diversify Ties

© foto-select / Adobe Stock

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday stressed the need for Europe to diversify its relations to ensure it is not dependent on any one nation, a day after he pushed through a decision to let a Chinese firm invest in a terminal at the country's largest port.Businesses must ensure that they have multiple supply chains to obtain their goods and that their investments are not concentrated on just one country, added Scholz in a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens."Those who had not considered this carefully enough for a long time are doing it now in lig

24 Oct 2022

EU Warned Germany Against Chinese Port Investment

© engel.ac / Adobe Stock

The European Commission warned the German government last spring not to approve an investment by China's Cosco into Hamburg's port, German daily Handelsblatt reported on Friday, citing sources.Shipping giant Cosco last year made a bid to take a 35% stake in one of three terminals in Germany's largest port in the northern city of Hamburg.Germany's ruling coalition is divided over whether to approve the investment, government sources say, even as Beijing urges Berlin not to politicize the bid and the port authority warns this could hurt the economy.According to Handelsblatt…

05 Oct 2022

German Police See State Actor Role in Nord Stream Blasts as Probable - Spiegel

Credit: guteksk7

Germany's BKA federal police assumes explosions in the Nord Stream pipelines last week were "a targeted act of sabotage" and said it is probable that state actors were involved, the Spiegel weekly reported, citing a letter to industry representatives. The BKA said in the letter that it did not yet have any findings about who was behind the sabotage but "against the background of the high complexity of the execution of the act and corresponding preparation, the action of state actors seems probable", Spiegel reported.The BKA was not immediately available for comment.

26 Sep 2022

Gas from Russia's Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Leaks into Baltic Sea

© sakramir / Adobe Stock

The Danish authorities on Monday asked ships to steer clear of a five nautical mile radius off the island of Bornholm after a gas leak overnight from the defunct Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 pipeline drained into the Baltic Sea.The German government said it was in contact with the Danish authorities and working with local law enforcement to find out what caused pressure in the pipeline to plummet suddenly. Denmark's energy ministry declined to comment.The pipeline has been one…