The FSRU-based LNG import facility in the Dutch port of Eemshaven, owned by Gasunie and Vopak, has received 82 shipments since its launch in September 2022, mostly from the United States.
Operated by EemsEnergyTerminal, the LNG hub consists of two chartered floating storage and regasification units – the 170,000-cbm FSRU Energos Igloo, owned by Energos Infrastucture, and the 26,000-cbm barge-based FSRU Eemshaven LNG, owned by Exmar.
The terminal has a capacity of 8 billion cubic meters and supplies natural gas to capacity holders UK-based Shell, Czech utility CEZ, and France’s Engie.
Shell booked 4 bcm per year of the capacity, CEZ reserved 3 bcm per year, and Engie booked the rest.
68 LNG shipments in 2023
In September 2022, the Eemshaven terminal received its first LNG cargo from the US onboard the Shell-chartered 173,000-cbm Murex LNG carrier.
The terminal started delivering regasified LNG to the Dutch grid in a record time during the same month, but the facility did not deliver gas to the grid during two periods since the launch due to maintenance and the unavailability of the heat connection.
Dutch gas grid operator Gasunie said in March last year it completed all the planned work at the terminal and signed a deal in April with compatriot storage firm Vopak to sell 50 percent of the LNG hub. The partners completed the deal in December.
A Gasunie spokeswoman told LNG Prime on Tuesday that the Eemshaven LNG terminal has received 12 cargoes in 2022, 68 LNG cargoes in 2023, and 2 cargoes this year up to date.
Each LNG carrier delivers an average quantity of around 160,000 cbm of LNG, but this does not mean that this quantity is actually brought in every time, she said.
The Eemshaven facility is the first FSRU-based terminal in the Netherlands and the second LNG import terminal in the country after Gate.
The Gate LNG import terminal in the port of Rotterdam, also operated by Gasunie and Vopak, handled record 328 vessels last year. Gate unloaded 169 LNG cargoes last year, and most of this shipments came from the US as well.
Capacity boost and maintenance
Gasunie previously said that EemsEnergyTerminal’s ambition is to be able to handle 9 Bcm of natural gas before the end of 2023, and then to grow to 10 Bcm.
The terminal operator said it aims to achieve this by ‘technical optimization’ of the existing installations, including debottlenecking.
“The process has now been optimized to the extent that we can technically achieve the 9 Bcm. It is up to the market to realize these quantities,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are currently still investigating the technical possibilities for 10 Bcm,” she said.
In addition, EemsEnergyTerminal plans to start maintenance activities at the LNG hub, starting this Sunday.
The spokeswoman said that “major maintenance” is expected to begin on January 27 and last until until February 7.