LNG

WINGAS GmbH, a former subsidiary in Germany of Russia’s Gazprom, has now been rebranded as a part of the SEFE Energy group, which is a business active in LNG import terminals, trading and portfolio management, transportation and storage of energy and is fully owned by the Federal Government of Germany.

The SEFE name comes Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) GmbH, previously called Gazprom Germania and which came under German control and had its name changed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and subsequent sanctions and the shutting off of the Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Germany.

The SEFE company also controls Germany’s largest gas storage facility and has capacity through the utility Uniper at the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven and at Brunsbüttel on the Elbe River.

SEFE also has a stake in Germany’s proposed fifth LNG import terminal at the port of Stade, also located on the Elbe between Hamburg and Cuxhaven.

The German Government acquired all the shares in SEFE in November 2022 and thus became the sole owner of the group of Gazprom companies in Germany.

LNG supply deals

US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG and SEFE have signed a long-term Sales and Purchase Agreement.

Under the agreement, SEFE’s subsidiary, WINGAS GmbH, will purchase 2.25 million tonnes per annum of LNG from Venture Global’s CP2 project to be located next to the existing Calcasieu Pass plant.

SEFE has additionally signed an accord to receive future volumes from Oman.

“This rebranding marks a significant milestone for SEFE, as it brings all of the group’s sales businesses together under one identity across Europe,” said SEFE.

Over the past 30 years, WINGAS has established itself as one of the leading natural gas suppliers in Europe.

Based in the German city of Kassel and with a strong presence across Germany, the company supplies energy-intensive customers across Europe, including municipal utilities, regional gas suppliers, industrial companies and power plants.

In addition to WINGAS’s existing sales business, SEFE Energy also provides gas, electricity, and low carbon energy products to customers in the UK, France, and the Netherlands.

As an integrated sales organisation, SEFE Energy now supplies over 50,000 customers in seven European countries, with a sales volume of around 200 terawatt hours of gas and electricity.

“By leveraging the synergies of our sales teams across Europe, our customers benefit from a more comprehensive offering of energy products and services, helping them achieve their strategic energy goals,” said Matthias Peter, Managing Director of SEFE Energy.

Trading Hub Europe (THE) GmbH, the virtual trading point for Germany’s natural gas market that includes LNG deliveries from nations such as the United States, has opened a tender until June 17 for market-maker services.

German Chancellor and leader of European Union socialists Olaf Scholz talked down fossil fuels in a major speech and stated  that renewable energy like wind and solar are the future and could be the saviours of German industry and the beleaguered economy.

The German Association of Transmission System Operators (FNB Gas) said that members were partially disappointed with the upcoming adoption of the amendment to the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) in Germany’s Bundestag to create the legal framework for the financing and integration of development planning for the nation’s natural gas and hydrogen network.

The German Association of Transmission System Operators (FNB Gas) said that members were seeking more capacity reservations and capacity expansion for pipelines as well as more sector benefits from imported and regasified LNG and from power plants in accordance with the new gas industry framework for Germany.

Feb 12 (LNGJ) - Three cargoes are heading for the Netherlands and Germany in the next week. The “Grace Emilia” with 173,955 cubic metres capacity is scheduled to deliver a US cargo to the Dutch Gate terminal in Rotterdam on February 16, according to shipping data. The shipment was loaded on February 4 at the Cove Point plant in Maryland.

   The “Alicante Knusten” with 174,000 cubic metres capacity is due to deliver a US cargo on February 17 to the Rotterdam terminal and which was loaded on February 2 at the Sabine Pass export plant in Louisiana. The carrier “Castillo De Caldelas” with capacity of 176,300 cubic metres is scheduled to discharge a shipment on February 19 at the German import terminal at the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven. The cargo was lifted on February 2 from the Sabine Pass plant.

Sonatrach, the Algerian national energy company, has signed a supply contract for pipeline natural gas to be delivered to Germany via pipelines to southern European as the Germans now appear to be less enthusiastic about replacing Russian gas with LNG imports from the US and Qatar.

The pipeline gas agreement was signed during a visit to Algiers by German ministers and is with Leipzig-based VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG AG.

The VNG group is involved in energy trading and sales as well as natural gas and energy transportation by pipeline and gas storage. 

No details were released on the length of the supply contract nor on the volumes of natural gas Algeria would be delivering to Germany from its output of more than 100 billion cubic metres per annum.

Sonatrach, the national oil and gas company with two LNG export plants at Arzew and Skikda on the Mediterranean Coast as well as gas pipelines connected to Spain and Italy, said the deal was signed at a ceremony chaired by Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Mines Mohamed Arkab.

Green-backed gas deal

The signing of the VNG natural gas deal was also witnessed by the visiting German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, who is a member of the left-wing Green Party in the three-party German coalition government.

Rachid Hachichi, the Chief Executive of Sonatrach and his VNG counterpart Ulf Heitmüller spoke at the signing ceremony.

“I must express my satisfaction with the strengthening of the energy partnership with Europe through this historic contract with the company VNG, which will lead to the start of natural gas deliveries to Germany,” stated Hachichi.

Ulf Heitmüller, the CEO of VNG, said he was delighted to have been able to conclude a medium-term gas supply contract with Sonatrach.

“VNG thus becomes the first German company to purchase gas via pipeline from Algeria,” Heitmüller added.

Energy partnership

“This contract lays the foundations for a relationship of trust in terms of supply, opens new perspectives and strengthens the German-Algerian energy partnership,” stated the VNG CEO.

VNG’s Heitmüller added that Algerian natural gas would now be “an essential part” of guaranteed energy security for Germany,

“The purchase of Algerian gas via pipeline to Germany constitutes an additional diversification of VNG's purchasing portfolio, thus strengthening its position as a reliable partner towards its customers and making the company an important contributor to security of supplies,” Heitmüller declared.

Dec 5 (LNGJ) - Cargoes are heading to Germany, the UK and Belgium in the next week from Angola, the US and Qatar. The LNG carrier “Cubal” with 155,000 cubic metres capacity is due to unload a cargo on December 8 at the German North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven. The cargo was lifted on November 25 from the Soyo plant in the southwest African nation, according to shipping data.

   The “Gaslog Galveston” with 174,240 cubic metres capacity is scheduled to discharge a US cargo on December 9 at the UK South Hook import terminal at the port of Milford Haven. The cargo was lifted on November 21 from the Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana. The Qatari Q-Flex vessel “Tembek” with 211,880 of capacity is due to deliver a cargo from Qatar on December 9 to the Belgian import terminal at Zeebrugge. The shipment was loaded on November 18 at Ras Laffan in the Gulf.

Nov 23 (LNGJ) - The UK and Germany are set for US LNG deliveries over the next few days. The vessel “MOL Hestia” with 170,800 cubic metres capacity is scheduled to discharge a US cargo on November 24 at the UK South Hook terminal in the Port of Milford Haven in Wales. The shipment was lifted on November 3 from the Sabine Pass export plant in Louisiana, according to shipping data.

   One other US cargo is heading for the German North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven and is due to berth on November 26. The carrier “Maran Gas Amorgos” with 170,800 cubic metres capacity loaded the cargo on November 12 at the Calcasieu Pass plant near Lake Charles in Louisiana.

Nov 10 (LNGJ) - Four cargoes are heading for the European Union in the next couple of weeks from Qatar, Trinidad and the US. The Qatari Q-Flex vessel “Al Karaana” with 205,990 cubic metres capacity will berth at Zeebrugge on November 15 with volumes from Ras Laffan lifted on October 29. The “BW Cassia” with 170,8000 cubic metres capacity will discharge a Trinidad cargo on November 15 at the Eemshaven terminal in Groningen, according to shipping data. The volumes were lifted on October 29 from the Caribbean plant at Point Fortin.

   The carrier “Isabella” with 174,130 cubic metres of capacity is scheduled to discharge a US cargo on November 19 at the Dutch Gate terminal in Rotterdam. The cargo was lifted on November 7 from the Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana. Germany will receive a cargo on November 23 at the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven on board the carrier “Adriano Knutsen” with 179,980 cubic metres of capacity. The volumes were loaded on November 7 at the Corpus Christi plant in Texas.