Spanish LNG terminal operator Enagas is planning to launch its El Musel liquefied natural gas terminal in Gijon in July this year.
Enagas kicked off a non-binding open season for logistics services at the terminal, which has been in hibernation since its completion in 2013, in March.
The firm said in its quarterly results report on Tuesday that the open season attracted a “high level of interest” from the sector with a total of 16 bids from different operators.
Enagas did not reveal any additional information.
“The commercial commissioning of the terminal, which is part of the government’s More Energy Security Plan, is scheduled for July and will strengthen the security of European energy supply with offloading, storage and loading operations of LNG,” it said.
In July last year, the terminal received the administrative authorization from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
Furthermore, El Musel LNG terminal received approval on February 17 this year from the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) for its special economic regime as a logistics facility.
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.
Enagas also recently entered into a deal to sell a 25 percent stake in the LNG terminal to compatriot Reganosa for 95 million euros ($104.7 million).