Dutch Gate terminal in the Rotterdam port saw lower LNG volumes in the January-September period when compared to the year before.
The port said in its quarterly report that total LNG throughput in the port reached 4.96 million tonnes in the first nine months of this year, down 1.8 percent when compared to the year before.
Deliveries to the Gate terminal, which is a hub for all LNG volumes in the port, dropped 5.8 percent to 4.47 million tonnes.
However, the port said outgoing LNG volumes rose 61 percent to 484,000 tonnes.
This is due to a steady rise in LNG bunkering operations in the port as the world’s fleet of LNG-powered vessels continues to rise.
The port is a strong supporter of LNG as a bunker fuel and has developed one of the world’s biggest LNG fueling chains.
Gate provides most of these LNG fuel volumes.
The terminal, a joint venture of Vopak and Gasunie, recently said it plans to invest in a further capacity expansion of 1 bcm per year, following a new deal with Germany’s Uniper.
Including the newest investment, Gate would have a total capacity of 13.5 bcm per annum in 2024.