Cyprus FSRU starts gas trials in China

The 137,000-cbm converted FSRU Etyfa Prometheas, which will serve the first Cyprus LNG import terminal in Vasilikos, has started its gas trials in China, according to Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry in Shanghai.

CHI Shanghai, the unit of Cosco Shipping, said in a statement that this is the first gas trial carried out by the company.

The FSRU was slowly towed away from the jetty of CHI Shanghai on Monday morning local time, it said.

Prior to this, CHI Shanghai bunkered LNG to the vessel for six days at the yard’s jetty, it said.

“During the gas trial, the performance of the cargo containment system, cargo handling equipment, and instrumentation shall be verified with suitable quantity of LNG,” it said.

This is the last test for the vessel before delivery. CHI Shanghai did not say when it expects to deliver the FSRU.

In July, CHI Shanghai held the sea trial ceremony for the 2002-built converted FSRU, previously known as Galea.

Officials from CHI Shanghai, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering, ETYFA, LR, and others attended the ceremony.

Cyprus FSRU starts gas trials in China
Image: CHI Shanghai

LNG terminal launch delayed

Cyprus announced the start of construction of its first LNG import facility at Vassilikos in July 2020.

The Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA), a unit of DEFA, previously signed an EPCOM (engineer, procure, construct, operate, and maintain) contract with a consortium for the project.

The consortium comprises of state-owned China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering, a unit of CNPC, Metron Energy Applications, Hudong-Zhonghua, and Wilhelmsen Ship Management.

Besides the converted FSRU, the project includes a jetty, a pipeline, and other onshore and offshore related infrastructure in Vasilikos.

From there, gas will be piped to shoreside infrastructure with links to the country’s energy grid mainly for power generation purposes.

DEFA’s ETYFA previously expected to launch the LNG import project for power generation in summer 2022, but the project has been delayed.

According to DEFA, the company now expects the project to be completed in the second half of the next year.

Recent local reports also suggest that Cyprus may charter the FSRU to UAE’s Adnoc or some other firm in the meantime until the LNG import infrastructure is ready.

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