Gasunie’s new LNG import hub in the Dutch port of Eemshaven will soon start sending regasified LNG to the grid following the arrival of the first cargo last week.
To remind, the 173,000-cbm Murex LNG carrier arrived on Thursday at EemsEnergyTerminal, which consists of two chartered floating storage and regasification units or FSRUs.
The LNG carrier, owned by Seapeak and chartered by Shell, delivered the shipment from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass LNG plant in Texas to New Fortress Energy’s 170,000-cbm Golar Igloo.
Prior to the first shipment, Golar Igloo arrived in the Eemshaven port, operated by Groningen Seaports, on September 4, while Exmar’s 26,000-cbm barge-based FSRU Eemshaven LNG arrived in Eemshaven under tow on September 6.
Gasunie previously said that that the new hub would receive up to 18 LNG cargoes by December 31, while regasified LNG from Eemshaven should start flowing through its gas grid in mid-September.
First gas this week
EemsEnergyTerminal said in a update on September 12 it “currently anticipates that natural gas sendout for commissioning purposes will start on September 14.”
A Gasunie spokeswoman told LNG Prime on Wednesday that the company was still expecting the first gas in the network this week and that the facility would receive about 17 ships by the end of this year.
Gasunie confirmed on Friday, September 16, that regasified LNG had started flowing to the Dutch grid.
The first FSRU-based facility in the Netherlands, has been prepared in record time as the Netherlands and other European countries such as Germany look to slash reliance on Russian pipeline gas and boost energy security.
Shell booked 4 bcm while Czech firm ČEZ took 3 bcm of the terminal’s total capacity. France’s Engie secured the remaining 1 bcm of capacity.
The Eemshaven hub is the second LNG import facility in the Netherlands after the Gate terminal in Rotterdam, which is owned by Gasunie and Vopak.
With an expansion at the Gate terminal and the Eemshaven project, Dutch capacity will double from current 12 bcm to 24 bcm.
(Article updated on September 16, 2022, to say that regasified LNG had started flowing to the Dutch grid.)