Lithuania’s Klaipedos Nafta, the state-owned operator of the country’s first LNG import facility in Klaipeda, said it would move the 170,000-cbm FSRU Independence from the jetty to perform maintenance works.
“The terminal operations will be stopped from 07:00 on September 27 to 07:00 on October 1 due to pre-scheduled LNG terminal maintenance works,” KN said in a statement.
At the same time, KN said it would carry out bottom cleaning or dredging works in the LNG terminal’s water area, which would result in the temporary relocation of the FSRU from its location at the Kiaules Nugara island in the Klaipeda port.
KN plans to disconnect the unit from the natural gas transmission system on Tuesday morning and moor it at the berth of Klaipedos Smelte.
The company performs these maintenance works every year.
During the LNG terminal maintenance stop, the Lithuanian consumers would get natural gas from the Latvian Incukalnis underground gas storage facility and, if required, via the Lithuanian-Polish interconnector GIPL, according to KN.
“With the terminal operating close to its maximum capacity this year and a significant increase in demand for terminal services, the flawless operation of the LNG terminal is of paramount importance,” Dainius Ciuta, COO of KN, said in the statement.
“We take every opportunity to carry out the maintenance work necessary to ensure uninterrupted and high-quality gas supply to customers in Lithuania and neighboring countries,” Ciuta said.
LNG shipment to arrive on October 8-9
Following the completion of the maintenace works, KN expects the first LNG cargo to arrive on October 8-9.
In July, KN launched technical infrastructure studies to assess the possibilities of expanding the annual regasification capacity of the Klaipeda LNG terminal.
KN said both studies would analyze the possibility of infrastructure development in two possible scenarios. These include boosting the LNG terminal’s annual regasification capacity to 5 billion cubic meters (bcm) and to 6.25 bcm.
The company is currently leasing Hoegh LNG’s FSRU independence with a regas capacity of 3.75 bcm, but it has decided to buy the unit for $153.5 million, excluding VAT, at the end of its current lease deal.
Lithuania said in April it had completely abandoned imports of Russian gas and would satisfy the country’s entire gas demand via the FSRU-based LNG import facility in the port of Klaipeda.
In June, KN’s customers have fully booked the LNG terminal’s regasification capacity for this gas year ending September 30.
Also, five companies from Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland would receive in total ten LNG cargoes via the FSRU in the fourth quarter of this year.
