Dutch Gate LNG terminal in the port of Rotterdam is testing the market’s interest in small-scale LNG ship loading services at the planned fourth jetty.
Gate terminal is exploring market demand through a non-binding call for expression of interest, it said in a statement on Monday.
The process started on March 11 and participants are required to submit their interest by Friday, April 12, Gate said.
“Based mainly on the outcome of this market consultation, Gate terminal will decide on moving towards detailed engineering and filing of the permit request,” it said.
The LNG terminal, owned by Gasunie and Vopak, currently has two large LNG jetties and one dedicated small-scale jetty.
Gate’s small-scale jetty, which launched operations in 2016, handled record 151 vessels last year, loading close to 900,000 cbm of LNG.
This is mainly due to a high demand for LNG as fuel for vessels in the port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest bunkering port.
Gate’s commercial manager, Stefaan Adriaens, told LNG Prime in January that Gate would like to progress this year with the project to build the second small-scale jetty at the terminal due to the high demand for small-scale services.
Adrians said that Gate aims to “introduce permit application” for this jetty later this year.
He revealed plans for this project back in 2018 and the new jetty would be located across the existing small-scale jetty.
Gate said in the new statement that the fourth jetty is an “important step” in reducing GHG emissions towards the marine sector by facilitating services for LNG, bio-LNG, and synthetic LNG.
“Providing shore power to reduce NOX and GHG emissions during the stay at the jetty is in the scope of the project,” it said.