Under its ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF) program, the European Commission has funded a project aimed at paving the way for LNG as fuel to trucks and inland waterway vessels in Germany.
Berlin-based Liquind announced it will start construction of ten LNG stations after an EU grant of 3.3 million euros. In total, the project to improve the LNG distribution network amounts to 16.4 million euros.
According to the company’s statement, new terminals are being built along important European transport corridors, including in the Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and along Germany’s most important waterways. The refueling stations and cargo handling hubs in Duisburg and Mannheim, which are already being planned, are expected to start operation at the end of the year.
In last months, Germany has shed focus on the LNG uptake for shipping. In August 2017, the country announced funding, under its mobility and fuel strategy, for the upgrading and conversion of seagoing vessels to LNG as a marine fuel. Through this funding program, Germany aims to accelerate the expansion of alternative drives in maritime sector, while maintaining the country’s position as one of the world’s largest shipping ports.
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is a key EU funding instrument to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level, “filling the missing links in Europe’s energy, transport and digital backbone”. In addition to grants, the CEF offers financial support to projects through innovative financial instruments such as guarantees and project bonds. These instruments create significant leverage in their use of EU budget and act as a catalyst to attract further funding from the private sector and other public sector actors.
