Opponents of the Rügen liquefied natural gas terminal have suffered a setback in a federal court – the work can continue.
Opponents of the Rügen liquid natural gas terminal have failed to achieve their goal of stopping construction before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. The court rejected a corresponding application for interim legal protection from Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), as it announced on Thursday. There are further lawsuits in Leipzig with corresponding applications from the municipality of Binz and the Nature Conservation Association (Nabu).
After the first sea section of the connecting pipeline for the terminal was approved by the Stralsund Mining Authority, the DUH sued in August. The line, which is around 50 kilometers long in total, 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 said that it cannot be the case that this gigantic infrastructure project is approved piecemeal without there being a comprehensive assessment of the needs and ecological impacts.
The schedule for the terminal is tight
The Federal Administrative Court has now announced that after a summary examination of its chances of success, the lawsuit currently appears to be unfounded. The planning approval decision rightly assumes that the gas supply crisis will continue in view of the coming heating periods. 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 unable to shake this assessment.
The schedule for the terminal is tight. According to the federal government, the terminal should be ready for operation by next winter. She considers the terminal in Mukran to be necessary, citing energy security. Critics, on the other hand, speak of unneeded excess capacity and see the environment and tourism, which is important for Rügen, at risk.
Source: Stern
