Page 4 - GLNG Week 11 2021

GLNG COMMENTARY GLNG

ExxonMobil eyes LNG

supply to Albania

The US super-major is assessing options for bringing

LNG to the Southeast European country, which relies

heavily on an aged fleet of hydropower plants for its
electricity generation

PROJECTS & EXXONMOBIL and US floating LNG operator in Albania. Small-scale LNG supply is often
COMPANIES Excelerate Energy have agreed with Albania’s considered a favourable option to increase gas
government to assess the development of an access in countries or regions that lack a devel-
WHAT: LNG import terminal in the Southeast European oped pipeline network.
ExxonMobil and country. Results from the study are expected to be
Excelerate Energy Albania relies heavily on an aged fleet of delivered in the third quarter of 2021, while the
have agreed to study hydropower plants (HPPs) for its energy, forc- LNG import terminal itself is anticipated up and
the development of an ing the country to import expensive electricity running as early as 2023.
LNG import terminal in from its neighbours during periods of drought.
Albania. In contrast, gas plays only a limit role in Alba- Not the first time
nia’s energy mix, despite the fact it hosts part of “Supply diversification and the enhancement of
WHY: the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) that carries supply security are crucial to Albania and to our
LNG could be supplied gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. Balkan neighbours as well,” Albanian Energy
to a currently shuttered The proposed terminal would be built at the Minister Belinda Balluku commented on the
power plant and southern Albanian port of Vlora, which already memorandum. “We are confident that LNG can
delivered on a small- hosts a 100-MW thermal power plant (TPP) be the key to achieving these strategic objectives
scale basis across the that can run on gas in addition to oil. The Vlora and to finally provide a solution to the complex
country. TPP was commissioned in 2009 but remains Vlora TPP project by choosing the best partners,
offline because of a cooling system failure. equipped to deliver a project of such magnitude.”
WHAT NEXT: Under a memorandum with the government, This is not the first time LNG imports have
The project will likely ExxonMobil and Excelerate will assess the pro- been discussed in Albania. In the early 2000s,
be lacking the kind of ject’s commercial, technical and regulatory Italian construction firm Gruppo Falcione had
political support it might aspects. They will also look at recommissioning proposed developing a floating storage and
have enjoyed during the and potentially expanding the Vlora TPP, and regasification project near the town of Levan
Trump administration. evaluate prospects for a small-scale LNG market at a cost of $1.1bn. The scheme would have

The proposed terminal
would be built at the
southern Albanian port
of Vlora.

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 11 19•March•2021