TotalEnergies: high interest in Le Havre FSRU capacity

France’s TotalEnergies, one of the world’s largest LNG players, said that French and European firms have shown high interest to secure capacities at the planned FSRU-based facility in Le Havre following a market test.

TotalEnergies LNG Services France (TELSF), a unit of TotalEnergies, is working to install France’s first FSRU-based facility in Le Havre, adding to the four existing onshore terminals.

The firm ran a non-binding call of interest from January 16 to 30 for up to 2.5 Bcm per year of capacity for a period of five years.

“Demand expressed during the market test significantly exceeded available capacity,” according to a social media post by TotalEnergies Green Gases and LNG.

“This success illustrates market’s appetite for additional LNG regasification capacity to meet French demand as well as the need to strengthen the security of gas supply,” it said.

TotalEnergies said in a statement issued later on Monday that “several market players expressed a high level of interest” for an aggregated amount close to 12 Bcm per year over the five-year period.

It added that the company’s unit is planning to launch the binding capacity call in March.

The FSRU project in Le Havre will allow France to increase its regasification capacity by around 5 Bcm per year while TotalEnergies plans to reserve about 50 percent of this capacity.

The French firm previously said that the 2009-built 145,130-cbm, Cape Ann, will serve the Le Havre facility.

TotalEnergies charters Cape Ann from Hoegh LNG, such as Neptune that serves the new Deutsche ReGas FSRU-based terminal in Lubmin.

Hoegh LNG Partners, now 100 percent owned by Hoegh LNG, has a 50 percent stake in Cape Ann.

Japan’s MOL owns a 48.5 percent stake while Tokyo LNG Tanker has a 1.5 percent stake.

Besides the FSRU, Paris-based LNG engineering giant Technip Energies won a contract last year from TotalEnergies to provide a marine loading arm for the Le Havre facility.

The firm will install the offloading solution on Bougainville dock in Le Havre.

TotalEnergies will operate the FSRU while GRTgaz will operate the connecting pipeline to the gas transmission network.

Following completion of the jetty and the capacity bookings, TotalEnergies is looking to launch the FSRU-based facility in September this year.

(Updated with a statement by TotalEnergies.)

Most Popular

Posco International, Glenfarne ink Alaska LNG pact

US energy firm Glenfarne and Posco International, a unit of South Korean steel producer Posco, have signed a deal to advance a strategic partnership for the development of the Alaska LNG project. This includes initial terms for a long-term heads of agreement for LNG supply.

Monkey Island LNG pens offtake MoU

Houston-based Monkey Island LNG, the developer of a 26 mtpa liquefaction and export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with an unidentified international oil company for the offtake of LNG.

Hudong-Zhonghua gets approvals for new LNG bunkering vessel

Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has received approvals from five classification societies for a 25,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel design it jointly developed with French LNG containment specialist GTT.

More News Like This

NextDecade takes FID on fourth Rio Grande LNG train

US LNG firm NextDecade has made a final investment decision on the fourth train at its Rio Grande LNG facility in Texas.

TotalEnergies pens LNG supply deal with South Korea’s Kogas

French energy giant TotalEnergies has entered into a long-term agreement with South Korean LNG importer Kogas to supply the latter with liquefied natural gas.

Santos CEO expects Papua LNG FID in early 2026

France's TotalEnergies and its partners plan to take a final investment decision on the Papua LNG export project in Papua New Guinea in the first quarter of 2026, according to Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher.

NextDecade secures equity commitments for fourth Rio Grande LNG train

US LNG firm NextDecade has secured up to $1.8 billion in equity commitments from TotalEnergies and Global Infrastructure Partners to finance the construction of the fourth train at its Rio Grande LNG facility in Texas.