Feb 28 (Reuters) -

A first vessel carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Germany's new Baltic Sea terminal of

Mukran

arrived on Feb. 24 for a test operation as the country steps up its quest to replace Russian pipeline gas.

The quest to regasify LNG cargoes on German shores has intensified to end reliance on Russia, on which European energy industries depended heavily before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Pending the provision of fixed terminals, Germany is using floating storage and regasification terminals (FSRUs) to help to replace piped Russian gas supplies.

Apart from the addition in Mukran, three FSRUs are already working at the Wilhelmshaven, Brunsbuettel and Lubmin ports after Germany arranged their charter and onshore connections.

State-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) last month commissioned Lithuania's Klaipedos Nafta (KN) to commercially manage four LNG terminals on the North Sea, Wilhelmshaven 1 and 2, Brunsbuettel and Stade on its behalf.

MUKRAN

Private company Deutsche ReGas reported on Feb. 24 that the FSRU Energos Power has moored at Mukran on Ruegen island to test the regasification equipment and commission operations.

LNG from Mukran is targeted to flow to onshore grids via gas grid company Gascade's new OAL pipeline in the first quarter, having obtained approvals for completion from mining authorities in November and February.

Gascade said on Feb. 26 the 50-km (30-mile) OAL was now complete and feed-in was possible.

The Energos Power will be complemented by a second ship, the Neptune, which is currently active at Lubmin, from the spring onwards, as ReGas pulls together two FSRUs for deliveries to the mainland.

Once the Neptune has moved to Ruegen, a complicated shuttle service to account for shallow water near Lubmin can be abandoned.

The Mukran project has triggered local opposition. Two legal challenges by environmental groups DUH and Nabu were thrown out by the federal administrative court.

WILHELMSHAVEN

Utility Uniper launched Germany's first FSRU operations, Wilhelmshaven 1, in December 2022 at the deep-water port on the North Sea.

Tree Energy Solutions (TES) plans to operate a second FSRU, Wilhelmshaven 2, between 2024 and 2027.

Further ahead, Uniper plans to add a land-based ammonia reception terminal and cracker in the second half of this decade. Ammonia is at times used as a carrier for hydrogen, whose low density otherwise makes transportation over long distances complicated.

TES also has plans to eventually convert its operations to clean gases.

LUBMIN

The FSRU Neptune, chartered by Deutsche ReGas, began receiving LNG at Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast early in 2023.

The gas is first delivered to another storage vessel, the Seapeak Hispania, and shuttled to Lubmin in a set-up taking account of shallow water.

ReGas holds long-term supply deals with France's TotalEnergies and trading group MET.

The Neptune is designated to move to Mukran, allowing the Seapeak Hispania to depart, and join the second FSRU there, the Energos Power.

Regas plans hydrogen electrolysis plants at both Lubmin and Mukran.

Gascade has also created a grid connection to the Eugal 1 and 2 pipelines for a green hydrogen production project pursued for 2025 by developer HH2E at Lubmin. The grid piece will offer transports of gas and hydrogen blends.

BRUNSBUETTEL

The Brunsbuettel FSRU went into operation in April, initially chartered and operated by utility RWE's trading arm before the handover to DET at the start of 2024.

It is the forerunner of a land-based LNG facility, which has been cleared to receive 40 million euros ($43 million) of state support, that could start operations at the end of 2026, when an adjacent ammonia terminal could also start up.

State bank KfW, Gasunie and RWE are stakeholders and Shell has committed to sizeable purchases.

The total costs of the land-based terminal are 1.3 billion euros.

STADE

The inland port on the river Elbe a year ago started work on constructing a landing pier for an FSRU, now expected to be ready in mid-March.

A designated LNG vessel is moored at Bremerhaven port to be fixed up for the purpose.

Project firm Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH) also plans a land-based terminal where it has allocated regasification capacity to become operational in 2027.

The allocations include volumes for state-controlled SEFE, utility EnBW and Czech utility CEZ.

HEH has begun sounding out the market to determine whether the longer-term plans should be based largely on ammonia to be reconverted into clean hydrogen. It has identified a construction consortium.

HEH is backed by investment firm Partners Group, logistics group Buss, chemicals company Dow and Spanish grid operator Enagas. ($1 = 0.9236 euro) (Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by David Evans and Jonathan Oatis)