Greece’s Gastrade has launched a tender for the provision of commissioning management services for the FSRU-based LNG import project in Alexandroupolis.
According to a statement by GasLog, the deadline for receiving proposals is November 3, 17:00 Athens time.
GasLog did not disclose any other details regarding the contract for the provision of commissioning management services.
The Alexandroupolis independent natural gas system (Alexandroupolis INGS) project comprises an FSRU, a spread mooring system, and also a system of a HP subsea and onshore gas transmission pipelines through which natural gas will be delivered to the grid and onwards to the final consumers.
Moreover, the FSRU will be located in the sea of Thrace, 17.6 km SW of the town of Alexandroupolis and 10 km from the nearest shore.
The 30’’ gas pipeline will consist of an approximately 24 km subsea section and a 4 km onshore section and will be connecting the FSRU to the grid near the village of Amphitriti, 5.5km NE of Alexandroupolis.
In July, Denmark’s Svitzer, a unit of Maersk, secured a contract from Gastrade to provide towage services for the latter’s FSRU-based LNG import project after a tender issued in March.
Under the 15-year service deal, Svitzer will provide four new ASD tugboats, fully manned by Greek crew, to assist the FSRU as well as the carriers delivering LNG.
Grant
The Greek company took the final investment decision on the project worth 363.7 million euros ($385 million) in January last year and officially started construction in May the same year.
Gastrade’s shareholders include founder Copelouzou, DESFA, DEPA, GasLog, and Bulgartransgaz.
According to a separate statement issued by GasLog, the European Commission has approved, a 106 million euro ($111.6 million) Greek measure to support the completion of the construction of the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis.
Also, this measure will complement the Greek public support that was approved by the commission in June 2021, GasLog said.
The aid will take the form of a direct grant and will enable “the beneficiary to complete the construction of the terminal as planned by end-2023,” it said.
FSRU launch nears
Shareholder and LNG shipping firm GasLog told Keppel Offshore & Marine, now Seatrium, in February last year to proceed with the conversion of the 2010-built, GasLog Chelsea, to an FSRU.
GasLog will sell this unit to Gastrade for about $265 million.
The vessel entered the yard in February this year and the partners renamed it to Alexandroupoli.
Gastrade recently said that Seatrium’s yard in Singapore is finalizing the conversion work on the 153,600-cbm FSRU.
The Alexandroupolis LNG terminal will have a capacity of 5.5 Bcm.
With this project, Greece will get its first FSRU and the second LNG import facility, adding to DESFA’s import terminal located on the island of Revithoussa.
Gastrade is also planning to install a second FSRU offshore Alexandroupolis.
(Updated to include EU’s approval of the support measure.)