Ceremonial start of pile driving for the new FSRU jetty in Brunsbüttel

In the presence of Claus Ruhe Madsen, Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism, the Mayors of Brunsbüttel Michael Kunkowski and Martin Schmedtje, Dr Peter Röttgen, Managing Director of Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH, and other business, political and administrative leaders, the pile foundation work for the jetty began today.

"We are delighted that progress is now being made. The start of construction of the new jetty is essential for the FSRU to remain in Brunsbüttel and is therefore of particular importance for national security of natural gas supply and for the smooth long-term operation of the port. Due to the location of the FSRU, the berthing situation in the existing harbour is very complex. The Hoegh Gannet's current berth at the existing dangerous goods berth in the port of Brunsbüttel on the River Elbe was planned from the outset as a temporary solution to enable the floating LNG terminal to be commissioned immediately. Today is therefore an important milestone in the overall FSRU Brunsbüttel project," said Frank Schnabel, Managing Director of Elbehafen Energy Port und Logistics GmbH.

"Another milestone has been reached with the start of construction of the new FSRU jetty. This is important news for Germany's energy supply and for the economic development of the region. Brunsbüttel is increasingly becoming the central energy hotspot for industry in the north. As Minister for Ports, I am of course also pleased that the infrastructure in the port area is finally being expanded again. The Office for Transport Planning has done a great job with its quick decision and ensured that the LNG project in the Elbe port will continue to gain momentum," says Claus Ruhe Madsen, Minister for Economic and Business Affairs, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism.

Managing Director Frank Schnabel also emphasised the good cooperation with the authorities and thanked his employees, the project team and all those involved for their untiring commitment and perseverance, with each individual making a significant contribution to the success of the project. "The construction of the jetty is an infrastructure project of national importance. It requires close cooperation between all parties involved and can only be realised if politics, administration and business pull together," Schnabel emphasised.

Dr Peter Röttgen, CEO of DET, said: "The construction of the new jetty is an important next building block for the security of supply for citizens and industry in Germany and Europe. The town of Brunsbüttel and the port are making a major contribution to this. We would like to thank everyone involved for their extraordinary commitment to this important task".