Italian energy firm Eni has signed a memorandum of understanding with Slovakia’s gas supplier SPP to collaborate on LNG supplies.
The two firms signed the deal, aimed at identifying initiatives to contribute to Slovakia’s ability to diversify gas supplies, during state visit of Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Slovakia on Thursday.
According to a statement by Eni, the two firms will evaluate initiatives in the areas of trading and management of regasification and transportation capacities to secure and strengthen strategic supply of natural gas to be consumed in Slovakia.
“This signature highlights potential areas of cooperation and collaboration among European energy players to enhance the continent’s access to safe, reliable and sustainable energy sources,” it said.
Eni is expecting to double its contracted liquefied natural gas volumes to over 18 mpta by 2026.
The company has been quite busy with its LNG business during the last two years.
This includes shipping the 500th cargo from the Damietta LNG plant in Egypt and also the first cargo of LNG from its 3.4 mtpa Coral Sul FLNG located offshore Mozambique, as well as joining the giant Qatari LNG expansion.
On the other hand, Slovakia’s SPP signed a contract last year with US energy giant ExxonMobil to buy LNG, as part of plans to strengthen Slovakia’s energy independence and diversify sources of gas supplies.
SPP already imported LNG cargoes via Croatia’s FSRU-based LNG terminal on the island of Krk.
Slovakia’s Economy Minister Richard Sulik said in May last year that the country planned to import regasified LNG via at least four European terminals, including the LNG terminal in Poland.
The landlocked country is located in Central Europe and its neighbors include Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.