In the medium and long terms, along with Austria, Bavaria depends on gas and hydrogen imports from Croatia to ensure its own energy supply.
In order to do this, the building of pipelines via Slovenia to Austria and Bavaria is to be encouraged. At a meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on the Croatian island of Krk on Thursday, this was revealed by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Bavarian Premier Markus Söder (CSU).
In order to explain the next steps with network operators and energy suppliers—and, more importantly, to clear the way for the pipelines to be built—a joint steering group has been formed. However, a project’s overall length must be anticipated to span several years.
Off the coast of Krk, there is a so-called LNG terminal on a ship where liquid gas is purified and fed into the grid. Croatia already uses it to meet its natural gas needs and plans to greatly increase capacity. The infrastructure should eventually be adaptable to the usage of liquid hydrogen produced from renewable sources.
Plenkovic told Bavaria and Austria that, if necessary, the LNG terminal on Krk’s capacity may be increased in the future. The delivery can only satisfy a portion of the two countries’ enormous energy needs.
The current annual capacity of the LNG terminal on Krk is 2.9 billion cubic meters. It will then be increased to 6.1 billion cubic meters in a subsequent step. When compared: The present demand in Bayern is close to 11 billion cubic meters.
Therefore, Bavaria already depends on upcoming shipments from the north. The Free State is in favor of liquefied natural gas (LNG) landing in Lubmin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; Bavarian experts will shortly assist in the approval procedure. Gas pipelines connect Lubmin, via the Czech Republic, to Bavaria and other locations.
