KN (AB Klaipėdos nafta) is commissioning its LNG reloading station following a delivery of LNG by Shell Western LNG B.V.’s Cardissa.
Two of the five storage tanks of the LNG reloading station will be filled with the LNG. Shell has acquired the cargo from Lietuvos dujų tiekimas UAB, a Lithuanian company that uses the services of the LNG terminal.
KN‘s Managing Director, Mindaugas Jusius said: “The commissioning works enable us to test the entire infrastructure for the LNG logistics in the Klaipėda Seaport. First, the reloading of LNG from the large terminal to a small-scale LNG carrier, then from the carrier to the LNG reloading station, and finally to LNG tank trucks. Such testing of the process for the first time is highly important for both our service users and us. The success of the test will be a signal to the market that distribution of LNG in Klaipėda has been launched. Our LNG acceptance process operators have already completed special-purpose training. All this means that we are quickly approaching a new phase of KN‘s operations, namely, a small-scale LNG distribution. The new reloading station, as well as the large scale LNG terminal, will be open to all LNG suppliers, already this autumn they will be able to book capacities and to supply, upon start of commercial operations, LNG to customers in the Baltic Region by means of both sea and land transport.”
All the requisite testing of individual components and equipment of the distribution station was completed prior to starting the transfer of LNG from the bunker vessel to the storage tanks. It is estimated that all phases of the LNG reloading station’s commissioning works will be completed by the end of the autumn, and commercial operations will be launched in the first half-year of 2018.
Mindaugas said: “Most of the new LNG terminals that were constructed in recent years, or are still under construction, use advanced floating technology, and during a decade since the introduction of the technology the total number of floating LNG terminals (FSRU, FSU and FRU) has almost reached thirty. The Klaipėda LNG terminal is the world’s first floating terminal that has started the provision, at the beginning of this year, of regular commercial services of LNG reloading to small-scale LNG carriers. Now operators of other terminals have chosen this route as well. Upon putting into operation of the KN‘s LNG reloading station where LNG tank trucks will be filled, our terminal will become the world’s first floating terminal providing a full range of integrated LNG logistics services.”
For more information visit www.kn.lt
20th Sept 2017
