Court checks federal lawsuit: LNG terminal in Stade under environmental criticism

Court checks federal lawsuit: LNG terminal in Stade under environmental criticism

court decides on important environmental standards in Stade

27.03.2025 - 09:30

In a significant legal discussion, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig is negotiating on the lawsuit of the Lower Saxony Bund. It is about the approval for the construction and operation of an LNG terminal in Stade, which is the first to be realized in Germany.

The Nature Conservation Association BUND had filed a lawsuit in March 2024 because it considers the dimensioning and expansion of the LNG infrastructure to be problematic. These concerns are particularly relevant in the current energy crisis, in which the actual use of existing terminals is far less than planned. In 2024, for example, only 6.9 billion cubic meters of gas were found on three floating LNG terminals, which only made eight percent of total gas imports.

"The permits for LNG terminals are often oversized and contradict the climate goals," says Susanne Gerstner, chairwoman of the BUND Lower Saxony. According to the planning, this terminal in Stade should receive Fossil's gas, which is fundamentally opposed to the destinations of the state of Lower Saxony by 2040, gauge gas neutrality. The federal government therefore calls for a fundamental review of the LNG planning.

tina spoon -ended, expert in climate protection at the federal government, emphasizes that there is a lack of reliable evidence of the conversion to climate -neutral energy sources such as green ammonia. "The dangers of a leak with liquid ammonia must be taken into account. We see the risk that accidents could have serious consequences for water organisms and ecosystems in the area," she explains.

The possible conversion of LNG terminals to environmentally friendly energy sources has considerable technical hurdles and costs. In addition, the safety distances are insufficiently checked, which could put both the environment and the residents in danger. Protected habitats, such as the FFH area "Unterelbe", which is important for sensitive fish species, could be endangered by construction.

The discussion about the LNG terminal is not only a local topic, but is also in the context of national and international energy transition strategies. In this context, the federal government organized protest actions to point out the ecological and social challenges.

"Especially in times when we have to reorient ourselves in terms of environmental policy, it is crucial that we do not fall back into fossil dependencies," appeals Gerstner. The ongoing court hearings are therefore an expression of the broader discussion about sustainable energy supply and the protection of the environment.