Granting of preliminary legal protection against the Mukran (Rügen) LNG terminal

In April 2024, applications were brought before the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) seeking suspension of the permit for the construction and operation of the Mukran LNG terminal on the island of Rügen. The applicants raised climate-related arguments, challenging the compatibility of the project with Germany’s climate commitments and drawing attention to the tension between continued fossil-fuel infrastructure and climate protection. The German authorities had relied, inter alia, on national energy security considerations in connection with the decision to permit the project without a full environmental impact assessment.

The Federal Administrative Court dismissed the applications on admissibility grounds and therefore did not substantively determine the applicants’ climate-related arguments. The proceedings nevertheless concerned the legal tension between fossil-fuel infrastructure, energy security, environmental protection, and Germany’s climate obligations. The case is significant as litigation concerning a major LNG infrastructure project before Germany’s highest administrative court.