Snam’s Ravenna FSRU to get first LNG shipment

The 2020-built 173,400-cbm, Flex Artemis, was on Thursday located near BW Singapore, according to its AIS data provided by VesselsValue.

The vessel is loaded with a shipment from Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass plant in Louisiana, the data shows.

Reports suggest that Gunvor is providing this LNG cargo to Snam.

Snam recently said that the the 2015-built FSRU completed its mooring manoeuvre about 8 kilometres offshore Ravenna.

Prior to arriving in Ravenna, the FSRU completed gassing and cooling operations at the Enagas-operated LNG terminal in Cartagena, Spain.

The vessel is moored at the former Petra offshore platform. The platform’s existing infrastructure – formerly used to dock oil tankers – has recently been repurposed in order to accommodate the regasification vessel.

“In the past few days, a tender call was published to identify the party that will deliver the first LNG cargo to the BW Singapore for commissioning activities, which consist of the FSRU regasification plant operational tests and set-up,” Snam said at the time.

The cargo, scheduled to be delivered in March, will also provide the minimum level of liquefied gas in the terminal’s tanks, as required to ensure its full operation, the firm said.

After the commissioning phase, the Ravenna FSRU-based terminal with a capacity of 5 bcm will enter into service by April, according to Snam.

Italian regas capacity to rise to 28 bcm

In December 2023, Snam completed the purchase of BW LNG’s FSRU BW Singapore for about $400 million.

With the commissioning of BW Singapore, Italy’s total regasification capacity will rise to 28 billion cubic meters, equivalent to the volumes imported by pipeline from Russia in 2021, before the Russian-Ukrainian war, according to Snam.

Snam’s other FSRU-based LNG import terminal in the Italian port of Piombino received its 50th cargo in December since its launch in 2023.

The 170,000-cbm FSRU, Italis LNG, previously known as Golar Tundra, received its first commercial shipment from Eni in July 2023.

In addition to these units, Italy’s FSRU Toscana, in which Snam holds a 49.07 percent stake, will be in operation until the end of 2024 due to life extension work carried out on the FSRU last year.

Italy also hosts Snam’s onshore Panigaglia terminal in Liguria and the Adriatic LNG terminal, owned by VTTI and Snam.