The first natural gas will flow into Gasunie's gas network as early as mid-September at Eemshaven in the Netherlands. The official start of the construction phase of the EemsEnergyTerminal, a floating LNG terminal in the Eemshaven (Groningen), was kicked off earlier this month.
Technical activities will continue over the next few weeks. The Dutch LNG terminal is expected to be operating at full capacity by the end of November/beginning of December. Recently, two FSRUs (floating storage regasification units)—the Golar Igloo and the Eemshaven LNG—have been moored in the port. Together they form the terminal whereLNG), delivered by tanker, is converted back into gas.
“The EemsEnergyTerminal makes an important contribution to the security of supply and helps the Netherlands and Europe to reduce their dependence on Russian gas,” said Han Fennema, chief executive of Gasunie. “In the longer term Gasunie wants to use the terminal for green hydrogen. In this way, the EemsEnergyTerminal will be able to contribute to the energy supply in the Netherlands and Europe for many years to come.”
Eemshaven LNG and the Golar Igloo are leased for a period of 5 years from Exmar and New Fortress Energy, respectively, and are in an Eemshaven harbor basin. The incoming ships transporting LNG will in turn moor ship-to-ship to the Golar Igloo for unloading. From there, it can be transhipped to the Eemshaven LNG.
Both FSRUs can regasify and feed gas into Gasunie's gas pipeline network. A natural gas pipeline and a hot-water pipeline have been laid on the quay. There are also connecting pipelines between the FSRUs for the transport of LNG. A new gas pipeline has been laid from the quay to Gasunie’s existing network.
Outside the terminal, the gas pipeline is entirely underground. Although they are physically two FSRUs, EemsEnergyTerminal will provide services to users as a single terminal. The EemsEnergyTerminal will be able to make a total of 8 Bcm of natural gas per year available to the national natural gas network after processing the LNG supplied.
Until this year, the Netherlands only had an LNG terminal in the port of Rotterdam. The expansion in the Eemshaven and the optimization of the terminal in Rotterdam will double the import capacity for LNG.
