Finland’s Gasgrid gets OK to launch Inkoo FSRU reloading service

Finland’s Gasgrid has received approval to start offering reloading services at the country’s first FSRU-based facility in the port of Inkoo to boost the terminal’s utilization rate.

Gasgrid announced this move in March saying that the Finnish Energy Authority, or Energiavirasto, will carry out a consultation from March 16-30 to amend the terms and conditions submitted by Gasgrid’s unit and the operator of the terminal, Floating LNG Terminal Finland.

Energiavirasto has now confirmed the rules, according to a statement by Gasgrid issued on Tuesday.

“The approval of the terminal rules is second step to improve service provision of the terminal to the LNG markets in Baltics, Finland, and Sweden,” Satu Mattila, CEO of FLTF, said in the statement.

She said that the new reloading service will allow terminal users to choose according to their preference how to offtake LNG from the terminal, either as regasified LNG into the transmission network or in parcels as reloaded LNG into small-scale vessels.

“Reloading service will improve the security of supply to the areas where there is no pipeline coverage and will bring energy to the off-grid consumers”, Mattila said.

35 slots

Excelerate Energy’s 150,900-cbm FSRU Exemplar has a regasification capacity of more than 5 billion cubic meters per year and started supplying regasified LNG to the grid on December 29 as part of the commissioning phase.

After that, Gasgrid said in January that that the FSRU-based facility, which connects to a 2.2 km long gas transmission pipeline, was ready to start commercial operations.

Last month, the state-owned firm reduced the number of planned LNG import slots for the April-September period due to “limitation of transmission capacity in Balticconnector and expected market demand.”

Eesti Gas, a unit of Estonian investment firm Infortar, is the first customer and will bring in total seven shipments via Finland’s LNG facility in the port of Inkoo this year.

The firm recently received the first LNG shipment from the US.

According to a separate statement by Gasgrid, FLTF is offering in total 35 terminal slots of 1,000 GWh each for the period from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

“We expect the terminal to be unavailable for regasification due to maintenance for 24 hours during week 49, 12, 25 and for 48 hours during week 38,” it said.

The allocation procedure started on April 17 and interested parties must submit their terminal capacity requests by May 15, 2023.

Most Popular

LNG carrier arrives to load first LNG Canada cargo

The 174,000-cbm GasLog Glasgow has arrived at the LNG Canada jetty in Kitimat to load the first LNG cargo produced at the Shell-led terminal, an LNG Canada spokesperson told LNG Prime on Saturday.

Knutsen, Shell name ninth LNG newbuild

Norwegian shipowner Knutsen and UK-based energy giant Shell have named the ninth and final LNG carrier in a series of 174,000-cbm vessels.

BP seals LNG SPA with Italy’s A2A

UK-based energy giant BP has signed a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal with Italian electricity and gas distributor A2A.

More News Like This

Excelerate buys GasLog LNG carrier

US FSRU player Excelerate Energy has purchased a 2007-built steam liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier from GasLog Partners, a part of Greek LNG shipping firm GasLog, according to brokers.

Excelerate advances Vietnam LNG talks

US FSRU player Excelerate Energy is moving forward with its plans to supply Vietnam with liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from the US.

Avenir LNG seals charter deal with Excelerate

UK-based small-scale firm Avenir LNG has secured a multi-year extension for its 7,500-cbm vessel Avenir Accolade with US FSRU player Excelerate Energy.

Excelerate wraps up acquisition of NFE’s Jamaica business

US FSRU player Excelerate Energy has completed its previously announced acquisition of New Fortress Energy's business in Jamaica for $1.055 billion.