Lithuania-based but international acting energy terminal operator KN Energies AB (KN), formerly known as Klaipedos Nafta which as from January 10, 2024 will change name to KN, has secured the public tender for the commercial management of four German liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals on the North Sea coast.
The company KN Energies AB has signed a contract with Deutsche Energy Terminal GmbH (DET), the German state-owned company that operates state-controlled LNG terminals.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economics Affairs and Climate Action, the DET operates Germany’s first LNG terminals on the North Sea coast, the Wilhelmshaven 1 LNG Terminal and the Brunsbüttel LNG Terminal.
Additionally, DET will operate two upcoming terminals: the second LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven and the LNG terminal in Stade on the Lower Elbe River.
The two-year contract between KN and DET covers the commercial management of all four LNG terminals.
Until now, KN already provided these services for the 1 Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel LNG terminals, but after DET took over the management of these facilities, a new tender was launched for the consolidated commercial management of four LNG terminals.
In recent years Germany is rapidly embarking on the development of the construction of floating LNG terminals in order to provide new sources of supply for LNG, following the failure of gas supplies via pipelines from Russia.
The German Government is using the state-owned liquefied natural gas terminals to secure reliable energy supplies to the federal market.
Germany is expected to have a total of five FSRU-based LNG import terminals within this year, four of which will be operated by DET.
According to the contract signed by KN and DET, commercial management services for the four LNG terminals will include managing commercial and logistics operations, gas dispatching processes, accounting and reporting of the commercial activities to the DET, development and provision of IT systems and tools, and other terminal operational services.
The contract also includes a commitment to capacity building and knowledge transfer of KN expertise to DET staff.
During the term of the contract, the objective is to train the local team to be able to ensure the commercial operation of the terminals themselves.
Darius Šilenskis, chief executive of KN, said: “By providing commercial management services to two German LNG terminals, we have had the opportunity to demonstrate unique competences, expertise, professionalism, and the ability to meet customers’ expectations in a qualitative and prompt manner.”
Dr. Peter Röttgen, managing director of DET, after the result of the tender, noted: “After our initial positive experience of working together with KN at our sites in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven, we are now looking forward to continuing this fruitful and professional collaboration for all DET sites.”
