Belgium-based green hydrogen company Tree Energy Solutions (TES) believes its planned Wilhelmshaven hydrogen import terminal in Germany will be accelerated with the development of a fifth floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) in the same location.

The company, alongside utilities E.ON and Engie, has been selected by the German government to jointly develop and implement the FSRU, which will enable the import of 5 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year. This is about 5% of Germany’s annual consumption, Kallanish notes.

TES says this project will speed up its Green Energy Hub in Wilhelmshaven, and will have Germany importing green hydrogen from its upstream projects within 12 months of the start of operations at the new FSRU.

The green hydrogen import terminal planned by TES, the largest in Europe so far, offers a “unique model” to convert large amounts of renewable electrons into green hydrogen and “affordable” renewable gas, the company says. It will serve as the primary entry point for clean energy in Europe and a catalyst for a circular carbon economy.

Green hydrogen will be imported in the form of renewable liquefied natural gas (LNG) using green hydrogen and circular CO2. TES is looking at producing green hydrogen in the US, Canada, South America, north and southwest Africa, the North Sea region, the Middle East, and Australia.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with the federal government [of Germany], European, and local institutions as we take this great step to fast-track the development of a climate neutral, secure, and affordable hydrogen economy. Germany’s new FSRU will accelerate TES’s hydrogen strategy,” TES ceo Marco Alvera said earlier this month.

The FSRU is set to start large-scale gas imports by 2025, but the consortium has committed to securing supplies of gas to Europe and Germany from the end of 2023. TES estimates its green hydrogen projects will be ready to start exports in 2025.