Mukran LNG Terminal Reopens After Icebreakers Clear Channel in Frozen Baltic

Operations at the floating LNG import facility Mukran off the Baltic coast of Germany resumed this week after icebreaking efforts by the multipurpose vessel Neuwerk restored access to open water following weeks of disruption caused by heavy sea ice in the bay off Mukran. 

The channel-clearing work came after Neuwerk itself suffered a technical fault last weekend that forced the ship back to port for repairs. Tug VB Bremen Fighter was then used to continue opening a navigable corridor through accumulated ice, allowing LNG traffic to resume at the Mukran LNG terminal.

Satellite imagery had shown dense sea ice covering the bay in recent weeks with no open channel available, leaving LNG carrier Maran Gas Nice unable to depart the terminal since late January. AIS tracking indicates the vessel finally cleared Mukran on February 11 once an initial path was opened.

Another LNG carrier, Minerva Amorgos, had been waiting offshore since February 3. According to the German regulator Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt Ostsee (WSA), the ship is expected to be escorted into Mukran by the end of February 16, guided by terminal operator Deutsche Regas.

Neuwerk, a German federal multipurpose vessel operated for coastal protection, pollution response, and maritime safety, usually operates in the North Sea but was brought in to assist with ice breaking in the Baltic Sea. The 78-meter ship is equipped with reinforced hull plating and icebreaking capability, allowing it to operate in moderate ice conditions. It is unclear when it can return to service and currently remains in the port of Rostock.

With shipping halted, gas storage at Mukran fell to record lows, and the facility reportedly stopped feeding gas into the national transmission system in early February. Mukran has been a key import hub since Germany expanded LNG infrastructure after the loss of Russian pipeline gas. It is Europe’s largest floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) terminal by throughput, receiving roughly 12.9 TWh of gas equivalent in the past three months. January alone saw about 4.4 TWh, though February volumes are expected to be sharply lower because of the ice disruption.

This winter’s ice conditions across the Baltic Sea have been unusually persistent in several coastal regions, particularly in gulfs and shallow bays. Authorities in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia have all reported high demand for icebreaker support as shipping lanes narrowed. In some ports, older reserve icebreakers have been reactivated or extended into service as traffic volumes remained high, underscoring how severe ice can strain northern Europe’s maritime logistics.

For Mukran, the reopening offers relief as Minerva Amorgos prepares to dock, but operators say continued cold weather could still complicate traffic.

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