[ case study ]
The project, later named the‘ Ostsee Anbindungsleitung’( OAL), was developed by STS and its clients as a joint integrated team. This dual-purpose pipeline provides Germany and the broader European Union with energy security in the short term while supporting the energy transition in the long term.
Project necessity
With a mandate from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action( BMWK) to construct the LNG terminal as quickly as possible, the joint team mechanically completed the project in January 2024 in a record 18 months – a remarkably short turnaround for a project of such scale and complexity. Gas from two FSRUs started flowing through the pipeline soon afterwards, ensuring sufficient gas storage for Europe in the winter of 2023 / 24. Not even a‘ once-in-a-century’ storm, storm Viktor – which caused 4-metre-high waves, halted construction, and damaged trench work – could prevent the project from being completed in record time.
The project features a 51-km, DN1200, concrete weight-coated, fully trenched offshore pipeline that links the new LNG terminal in Mukran to the German gas grid in Lubmin, where a gas receiving terminal already exists. Landfall was achieved through 2.5-metre-diameter‘ microtunnels’, which connect the offshore pipeline to the onshore facilities via newly built entry pits. Two FSRUs containing imported LNG feed natural gas into the German gas grid.
With thousands of kilometres of new hydrogen pipelines planned in Europe over the next 5 – 7 years and limited construction capacity, the project execution method and lessons learned from OAL could be applied to help these projects meet their ambitious schedules. The following sections of this article outline key objectives that enabled the project’ s swift completion.
The entry pit in Mukran, with the tunnel boring machine ready to commence operations. Source: StreamTec Solutions AG
Priorities
STS created the conceptual design for the project and thereafter developed a project execution plan( PEP), which became the‘ bible’ of how the project would be executed.
In the PEP, five main project objectives were laid out in order of relevance: HSE, compliance, time schedule, quality, and budget.
For HSE and compliance, we implemented systems and monitored our contractors to ensure that those involved in the project adhered to all applicable laws, objectives, and permit requirements.
Thereafter, it was about optimising the schedule, quality, and costs. In our project, the schedule was the most important aspect, and our dayto-day decisions were based on meeting the ambitious timeline. For quality, the system had to be designed to transport natural gas and hydrogen safely throughout the project’ s lifetime. While the budget was last on the priority list, the additional costs associated with the ultra-fast track approach were minimal and within the initial contingency budget.
Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 21 | April 2025 31