A first floating storage and regasification unit has arrived in Germany for the country's planned fast-track import facility at Lubmin ahead of a planned start-up of imports in December.

Local news channels reported that the 145,130-cbm FSRU Neptune (built 2009) is in the Baltic Sea port of Mukran.

The Hoegh LNG Partners-controlled FSRU is at the centre of the TotalEnergies and Deutsche ReGas-led private project for the draft-restricted port in northeast Germany.

It is due to be operational by 1 December.

TradeWinds has learned that the project will also use three Anthony Veder small-scale LNG carriers as shuttle ships and an LNG carrier as a floating storage unit.

Germany is also expected to welcome another FSRU, Hoegh LNG's 170,000-cbm FSRU Hoegh Esperanza (built 2018), in the port of Wilhelmshaven. This unit is scheduled to be operational by December.

Another Hoegh FSRU is set to go on location at RWE’s planned Elbhafen LNG terminal in Brunsbuttel soon. But this unit has yet to be named.

Germany is set to deploy up to six FSRUs — some LNG sources have recently referenced a seventh project — in at least four locations during the next 12 months as the country seeks alternatives to Russian pipeline gas following the invasion of Ukraine in February.

The German state has supported the charters of two Hoegh regas vessels, a pair of FSRUs controlled by Dynagas and an Excelerate Energy FSRU and is working with domestic traders Uniper and RWE to put projects in place.