Spanish LNG terminal operator Enagas has received the first liquefied natural gas tanker at its El Musel terminal in Gijon.
The 2021-built 174,000-cbm, Cool Racer, owned by Greece’s Thenamaris, arrived at the facility with the commissioning cargo on Saturday, according to Enagas.
Cool Racer’s AIS data provided by VesselsValue shows that the vessel previously loaded the shipment at Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass plant in Louisiana.
Enagas said it will use the cargo for final technical tests before the commercial start-up of the plant.
One it completes the these tests, Enagas will need one more approval from the government to start commercial operations.
The Spanish LNG terminal operator also noted that the binding season for logistics services at the El Musel LNG plant has ended on June 31.
Enagas launched the binding season on June 5 saying the process will end with the allocation of long-term loading, unloading, and storage services at the LNG terminal.
According to Enagas, the facility could contribute up to 8 bcm of LNG capacity per year to Europe’s security of energy supply.
It will allow the berthing of vessels with a capacity of between 50,000 cbm and 266,000 cbm.
Also, the LNG terminal has two tanks each with a capacity of 150,000 cbm and two tanker loading bays with a capacity to load a maximum of 9 GWh/d, and a maximum emission capacity of 800,000 Nm3/h.
Earlier this year, Enagas also entered into a deal to sell a 25 percent stake in the LNG terminal to compatriot Reganosa for 95 million euros ($103.7 million).
