Reprimands: Court rejects construction freeze application against LNG terminal

Zoom Image

Banner of opponents of the LNG terminal in Mukran on the island of Rügen

Photo: Stefan Sauer / dpa

The opponents of the Rügen liquefied natural gas terminal have missed their goal of stopping construction before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. The court rejected a corresponding application for so-called provisional legal protection of the German Environmental Aid (DUH), it announced on Thursday. In Leipzig, there are further lawsuits with corresponding applications from the municipality of Binz and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu).

The DUH filed a lawsuit in August after the responsible mining authority in Stralsund had approved the first section of the connecting pipeline. The pipeline, which is around 50 kilometres long, is intended to connect the terminal in Mukran in the north of Rügen with the gas pipeline junction in Lubmin. DUH Federal Managing Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner had argued that it could not be that this gigantic infrastructure project was approved piecemeal without a comprehensive assessment of the needs and ecological impacts.

Continuation of the gas crisis

The Federal Administrative Court has now announced that, after a summary examination of its chances of success, the lawsuit is currently proving to be unfounded. The planning approval decision rightly assumes that the gas supply crisis will continue in view of the coming heating seasons. In the communication, the court also refers to the assessment of the Federal Network Agency, which sees an additional need for feed-in options for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Accordingly, the DUH was not able to shake this assessment.

The schedule for the terminal is tight. According to the German government, the terminal should be ready for operation before the end of the coming winter. It considers the terminal in Mukran to be necessary, referring to the security of energy supply. Critics, on the other hand, speak of unneeded overcapacities and see the environment and tourism, which is important for Rügen, at risk.

beb/dpa