Vopak’s Jarmo Stoopman is the new managing director of the Dutch Gate LNG terminal in Rotterdam, owned by Gasunie and Vopak.
Stoopman replaces Wim Groenendijk who stepped down on May 1 after serving three and a half years in the position.
Groenendijk became the MD of Gate in November 2018. Prior to that, he worked for Shell and Gasunie.
His successor Stoopman joined Vopak in 2005 and became the Dutch tank company’s general manager for LNG in 2015, according to Stoopman’s LinkedIn profile.
The new move comes at a time when the Gate facility is working above its nameplate capacity as the Netherlands and other European countries look to slash reliance on Russian gas.
The LNG terminal currently has a capacity of 12 bcm or 8.8 mtpa of LNG, but it will boost it to 13.5 bcm from 2024 as part of a deal with Germany’s Uniper.
Gate regasified about 1.15 billion cubic meters during March, 15 percent above its nameplate capacity. During the first quarter, the facility has regasified in total 3.09 bcm.
The Netherlands will continue to increase its LNG imports and plans to launch later this year its first FSRU-based import terminal in the Eemshaven port, operated by Groningen Seaports.
Gate shareholder and Dutch gas grid operator, Gasunie, expects Exmar’s small 26,000-cbm FSRU S188 to arrive at its planned terminal in Eemshaven in early August.
In addition to the new facility, Gasunie and Vopak are looking to further boost the capacity at the Gate terminal as well.
With the new LNG facility in Eemshaven and the planned expansion of Gate, the LNG capacity in the Netherlands could double from current 12 bcm to 24 bcm, according to Gasunie.