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Network & Regions

Wilhelmshaven, Germany

Germany's only deep-water port. We arrange crude freight, discharge and inspection at Wilhelmshaven for pipeline delivery to German refineries.

VLCC at a long jetty in a North Sea bay with large tanks and an LNG ship

Wilhelmshaven is Germany's only deep-water port. Its NWO terminal handled 22 percent of Germany's mineral oil supply in 2024 and feeds refineries in Lingen, Gelsenkirchen and Wesseling by pipeline, with another line to Hamburg.

Since December 2022 Wilhelmshaven has also hosted Germany's first LNG import terminal. We arrange crude freight, discharge planning and inspection.

320,000 dwtLargest tanker at the NWO jetty
1.6M m³NWO tank farm in 35 tanks
22.0%Share of Germany's mineral oil supply, 2024
15.4M tCrude handled by NWO in 2025

Crude by pipeline

The NWO pipeline runs 391 kilometres to Wesseling, and the NDO pipeline runs 142 kilometres to Hamburg. Caverns in the region hold about 15 million cubic metres, including part of Germany's strategic reserve held by the EBV.

PipelineRoute
NWOWilhelmshaven to Lingen, Gelsenkirchen and Wesseling
NDOWilhelmshaven to Hamburg

What we arrange

HES Wilhelmshaven also offers about 1.3 million cubic metres of tank storage at the former refinery site.

  • VLCC and Suezmax crude freight
  • Discharge coordination with NWO
  • Independent quantity and quality inspection
  • Tracking from load port to German refineries

Frequently asked questions

Why use Wilhelmshaven instead of Hamburg?

Its deep fairway lets large crude carriers discharge directly, which the Elbe does not allow.

Where does the crude go?

By pipeline to refineries in Lingen, Gelsenkirchen and Wesseling, and to Hamburg.

Is there LNG at Wilhelmshaven?

Yes. Germany's first LNG import terminal started there in December 2022.

WilhelmshavenGermanyNWOCrudeLNGVLCC

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Discharge at Wilhelmshaven

Send grade, volume and laycan. We will propose freight and discharge planning.

Request Wilhelmshaven logistics