November 28, 2022 [riviera] – Energy security and climate concerns are shaping European LNG import terminal design, focusing on lowering carbon footprints and increasing receiving capacity, storage and flexibility for handling future fuels
In outlining the development of the Revithoussa LNG Terminal in southern Greece, DESFA asset management division director Nikos Katsis highlighted the terminal’s pivotal role in providing stable and secure supply of natural gas in Greece and southeastern Europe.
These were among the key themes discussed by LNG experts in-depth during a session, “FSRU and Terminal Project Review” at Riviera Maritime Media’s LNG Shipping & Terminals Conference, Europe on 16 November in London. The event, which was supported by platinum sponsor Trelleborg Marine & Infrastructure, is produced by LNG Shipping & Terminals magazine.
A floating storage unit (FSU), Methane Lydon Volney, moored at the Revithoussa LNG Terminal, enhances Greece’s storage capacity. The terminal has “has no underground storage,” noted Mr Katsis.
The addition of the FSU adds 145,000 m3 of storage, increasing the terminal’s total capacity to 370,000 m3. The added LNG storage allows the terminal to offload cargoes from Q-Max vessels and increases the available time slots and number of cargoes that can be handled annually. This increased potential supply is not only important to Greece, but to its neighbours, including Bulgaria, Mr Katsis said.
Further development at the Revithoussa LNG Terminal will expand the facility’s breakbulk distribution capabilities, with bays to load LNG trucks and a marine jetty to accommodate small-scale ships (1,000-20,000-m3) that can provide bunkering capability to the increasing LNG-fuelled fleet in the Mediterranean, as well as distribute cargoes to off-grid customers in the Greek islands.
In the following presentation, Grain LNG technical development manager James Hooker described National Grid’s systematic approach to the ‘asset-re-life’ project for the Grain LNG terminal. Originally developed in the 1980s, Grain LNG is undergoing a multi-phase project that will expand its storage capacity by 200,000 m3 to 1.2M m3, while modifying and upgrading equipment to improve efficiency. Increased tank storage should be available by 2025.
Mr Hooker said the CAP25 project is part of creating a “roadmap into the future” for Europe’s largest LNG import terminal. That roadmap will be further defined by a new study that was commissioned in October examining how the LNG terminal could achieve net-zero operations and prepare for handling future fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen and potentially incorporate carbon capture. This would include using a marine jetty to accommodate smaller liquefied CO2 carriers to transport the captured gas.
Hanseatic Energy Hub director Danielle Stoves discussed the development of a new, multi-phase “future flexible” import terminal at the Port of Stade-Bützfleth in Germany. The energy hub will initially incorporate an FSRU, which will be supplied by Dynagas and will be in place by the end of 2023, and an on-shore terminal that will be commissioned in 2026.
It is envisioned that, during its first phase, the energy hub will be receiving LNG, bioLNG and synthetic LNG, with subsequent phases looking at hydrogen and possibly ammonia.
The location of the facility offers several benefits said Ms Stoves, including the capability to use waste heat from a nearby chemical facility operated by Dow, which is one of the stakeholders in the Hanseatic Energy Hub. The project site is also relatively close to Hamburg and a nearby connection to the German national gas grid. Q-Max LNG carriers and LNG bunkering vessels will be able to load/offload at two marine jetties.
As a “future flexible project”, said Ms Stoves, the facility will be readied for hydrogen-based energy sources such as ammonia. The facility’s close proximity to a rail links could be advantageous for use of breakbulk distribution of ammonia.
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