(This article has been amended to change the location from offshore Singapore to offshore Malaysia)
Avenir LNG’s two dual-purpose bunkering and supply vessels have met offshore Malaysia as one of the ships is readying to commission the Higas small-scale terminal located on the Italian island of Sardinia.
The Petronas-chartered 7,500-cbm Avenir Advantage has provided LNG to its sister Avenir Accolade during a bunkering operation on Monday in Pasir Gudang, Pengerang, Malaysia.
Avenir Accolade will now embark on its journey to Europe to commission the Higas LNG terminal in Sardinia, according to Avenir LNG, a joint venture consisting of Stolt-Nielsen, Hoegh and Golar.
“We’re thrilled to see the Avenir Advantage alongside the Avenir Accolade, the first time they are back together since leaving the shipyard in Nantong. We look forward to welcoming the Avenir Accolade to our Higas terminal in Sardinia in a few weeks’ time with the commissioning cargo onboard,” Peter Mackey, chief executive of Avenir, said.
London-based small-scale player Avenir took delivery of its second 7,500-cbm newbuild from Keppel Offshore & Marine’s Nantong yard in March.
Following delivery, the vessel was expected to head towards Brazil to start its charter for Golar’s JV Hygo Energy, now part of New Fortress Energy, but it will first help launch the Italian facility.
First such facility in Italy
To remind, Norwegian shipping group Stolt-Nielsen said earlier this month it had expected Avenir’s terminal located on the Italian island of Sardinia to go online in May.
Avenir LNG holds an 80 percent stake in the terminal developer Higas while the Italian engineering firm Gas & Heat, who is also the EPC contractor, has a 10 percent stake.
CPL Concordia also holds 10 percent share in the storage, regasification and distribution facility in the Port of Oristano.
Higas started building the $43.2 million terminal in Sardinia, first such facility in Italy, in 2018 and previously expected to launch it in the second half of 2019 but it pushed forward the start of commercial operations several times.
Gas & Heat said in an update last month it had fully completed the facility.
The terminal features six horizontal low-pressure cryogenic Type C tank storage tanks with a total capacity of 10,800 cbm.
It will load up to 8,000 LNG trucks per year – equivalent to 180,000 tons per year – via two loading bays.
Additionally, the LNG would mainly go for use as fuel for automotive, industrial, civil and marine industries.
The terminal will also have a connection to a natural gas pipeline system in order to supply the local industry.
Spain’s Reganosa will maintain and operate the terminal as part of a deal revealed in February.