Dutch gas grid and LNG terminal operator, Gasunie, said it would stop natural gas sendout to the grid from its import hub in the port of Eemshaven due to issues with the heat connection.
The new terminal with a capacity of about 8 bcm per year has started delivering regasified LNG to the Dutch grid in September and has up to date received eleven cargoes.
It features two chartered FSRUs and they include Exmar’s 26,000-cbm barge-based FSRU Eemshaven LNG and the 170,000-cbm Energos Igloo, previously known as Golar Igloo. A joint venture of asset manager Apollo and US LNG firm NFE owns Energos Igloo.
Following the launch in September, Gasunie’s unit and the terminal operator, EemsEnergyTerminal, performed maintenance work at the facility during November and December.
During the shutdown, the company completed the connection between the two chartered FSRUs and finalized laying of the heat connection.
“Unfortunately, due to a failure at RWE, we are temporarily unable to use the heat connection. In this period of the year, we need this heat connection (sea water is too cold),” a Gasunie spokeswoman told LNG Prime on Friday.
“As a result, there will be no dispatch between January 13-30,” the spokeswoman said.
Full capacity in February
Gasunie expects the terminal to resume regasification activities at the end of January and to reach full capacity by the end of February, the spokeswoman said, adding that the schedule may change depending on the progress of the repairs.
Shell previously booked 4 bcm while Czech utility CEZ took 3 bcm of the Eemshaven terminal’s total capacity. France’s Engie secured the remaining 1 bcm of capacity at the terminal operated by Gasunie.
Gasunie has been quite busy this year regarding new LNG regasification infrastructure as the Netherlands and other European countries such as Germany look to replace Russian pipeline gas supplies.
The firm is now studying to further expand the existing LNG facilities in Eemshaven and in Rotterdam (Gate) on the basis of technical optimizations, it said last month.
Besides the existing facilities, the firm is working on a new FSRU-based facility at the port of Terneuzen.