LNG terminal operator Deutsche ReGas has kicked off commissioning activities at its FSRU-based LNG import facility in Germany’s port of Mukran.
The German firm led by Ingo Wagner and Stephan Knabe on Saturday announced the arrival of the 2021-built 174,000-cbm, Energos Power, in Mukran on the island of Rugen, as well as the receipt of a “permission of early start”, which allows the start of test operations of the terminal.
Deutsche ReGas said the FSRU with a regasification capacity of up to 7.5 bcm per year docked at the designated berth 12 in the industrial port of Mukran.
The FSRU is carrying a cargo of LNG from Equinor’s Hammerfest LNG terminal in Norway.
Energos Power recently loaded the shipment at France’s Montoir during a ship-to-ship operation from the 2023-built 174,000-cbm LNG tanker, Maran Gas Marseille, owned by Maran Gas and chartered by TotalEnergies.
Knabe said in the statement that the FSRU would start supplying natural gas from Mukran into the German gas pipeline network this winter.
Deutsche ReGas recently told LNG Prime that it expects to launch its FSRU-based LNG import facility by the end of this winter.
The aim of the trial operation is to test and commission all onshore and offshore systems.
Besides the FSRU, the Mukran project includes the 50-kilometer-long pipeline Ostsee Anbindungsleitung (OAL).
Germany’s Gascade built this pipeline which connects the LNG terminal in the port of Mukran with the German gas transmission network in Lubmin.
Two FSRUs
In June last year, Deutsche ReGas signed a deal with the German government to sub-charter the FSRU delivered in 2021 by Hudong-Zhonghua.
Deutsche ReGas took over the charter of Energos Power in October and the vessel has been working as an LNG carrier since then.
In the meantime, the FSRU, previously named Transgas Power, changed its owner as Greece’s Dynagas sold the vessel to US-based Energos Infrastructure, owned by asset manager Apollo.
Energos Power will work along the FSRU Neptune in Mukran as part of the second phase of the LNG terminal with a capacity of up to 13.5 bcm per year.
Deutsche ReGas officially launched its Lubmin FSRU-based LNG import terminal, first private LNG terminal in Germany, in January last year.
It chartered the 2009-built 145,000-cbm, FSRU Neptune, from French energy giant TotalEnergies for this project.
Deutsche ReGas said on Saturday that Neptune is expected to leave the port in Lubmin in the spring of this year.
Following necessary refitting work, this FSRU is expected to start operations in Mukran in the summer.
Deutsche Regas said the relocation of the FSRU means there is no longer a need for LNG shuttle services in the Greifswald Bodden to Lubmin.
The firm previously chartered three small LNG carriers from Anthony Veder to transport LNG from the FSU Seapeak Hispania to the FSRU due to draft restrictions in Lubmin.
The 137,814-cbm LNG carrier Seapeak Hispania located off Rugen will also leave in the coming months, it said.