June 26, 2024 [Offshore Energy]- Dutch tank storage company Vopak and compatriot energy network operator Gasunie have launched market consultation to look at LNG, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) possibilities at the EemsEnergy Terminal at the port of Eemshaven.

Developed by Gasunie to reduce the dependency on Russian gas, this floating LNG terminal has been operational since September 15, 2022, helping the Netherlands to meet its gas import needs.

The terminal was initially contracted for a period of five years, through to September 2027. In December 2023, Vopak became a 50% co-shareholder in the EemsEnergyTerminal. The terminal enables an import of 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of LNG per year, which covers around 25% of the Netherlands’ total annual gas demand. The developers are currently working to gradually increase the terminal’s capacity to roughly 10 bcm per year.

In partnership with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Dutch companies are now exploring ways to utilize the EemsEnergy Terminal for longer than initially planned as LNG imports are expected to continue to be needed over the coming years.

Gasunie and Vopak are also making plans for further hydrogen development at the Eemshaven site and exploring options for carbon capture and transport in line with the transition to a more sustainable energy system.

To assess the viability of this option, the companies have now started a market consultation to gauge the market’s interest in hydrogen and CCS.

The consultation is intended to assess market interest in importing LNG through EemsEnergyTerminal beyond 2027 and to gain insight into the conditions market parties would set. It will also look at permit regulations and the required technical aspects.

The results of the consultation may lead to an ‘open season’ where the required capacity is offered to the market in a transparent manner.