Page 10 - GLNG Week 05 2022

GLNG AMERICAS GLNG

Sempra, CFE sign MoU on

LNG, gas pipeline projects

PROJECTS & SEMPRA Infrastructure, a division of US-based upholding Mexican President Andres Manuel
COMPANIES Sempra, has signed a memorandum of under- Lopez Obrador’s pledge to ensure the state’s
standing (MoU) with the Federal Energy access to supplies of electric power and low-car-
Commission (CFE), Mexico’s national power bon fuels, it stated.
provider, outlining plans for co-operation on Meanwhile, Sempra reported that it was
several major projects. restarting the Guaymas-El Oro pipeline after
In a statement, Sempra Infrastructure said re-routing part of the link. The construction of a
that the non-binding MoU called for the two bypass section will allow the company to uphold
sides to work together on two LNG projects previous commitments to the Yaqui indigenous
– namely, the proposed construction of the community while also supplying gas to com-
Vista Pacífico LNG gas liquefaction plant at mercial, industrial and residential consumers on
Topolobampo, a port in Sinaloa State, and the Mexico’s Pacific coast and to the Vista Pacífico
continued operation of the La Paz LNG regas- LNG plant, as well as consumers in Baja Califor-
ification facility in Baja California Sur State. nia Sur.
Additionally, it said, the document provides for “Through these combined actions, CFE con-
the partners to collaborate in bringing the Guay- tributes to strengthening the country’s energy
mas-El Oro pipeline, which pumps natural gas security and reaffirms its commitment with the
from Sonora to Sinaloa, back on stream. Mexican people, while Sempra Infrastructure
The parties will negotiate definitive agree- agrees to continue to work to develop critical
ments on all three projects, it reported. new energy infrastructure in Mexico,” the state-
Assuming that the LNG initiatives come to ment said.
fruition, they will allow CFE to optimise natu- It noted that the two companies had signed
ral gas supplies and pipeline capacity between the MoU on January 31 at an event attended by
the Texas-Mexico border and Topolobampo, CFE’s general director Manuel Bartlett Díaz and
the statement said. This, in turn, will facilitate Sempra Infrastructure’s president for Mexico
gas deliveries to Baja California Sur, thereby Tania Ortiz Mena.™

EUROPE

Gastrade reaches FID on Alexandroupolis LNG

INVESTMENT GREECE’S Gastrade announced on January November, the European Commission approved
28 that it had made a final investment decision the purchase of interests in the LNG project by
(FID) on the Alexandroupolis LNG import these companies, as well as by Greek business-
terminal. woman Asimina-Eleni Copelouzou, clearing
The floating LNG (FLNG) project, off the these investments of competition concerns.
coast of Alexandroupolis, will have the capac- In its statement, Gastrade noted that gas
ity to import up to 5.5bn cubic metres per year from the project would be able to reach the
of gas. It will be Greece’s second LNG import wider Southeastern European region, including
terminal. Romania, Serbia and North Macedonia, as well
The floating storage and regasification unit as Moldova and Ukraine. The comments come
(FSRU) is anticipated to enter service by the amid heightened fears over potential disruption
end of 2023 and around half of its regasifica- of Russian gas supply to Europe amid escalating
tion capacity has already been contracted. The tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
facility will be linked to the Greek gas trans- Meanwhile, the Interconnector Greece Bul-
mission system via a 28-km pipeline. Once garia (IGB) pipeline is also nearing start-up,
the gas reaches the system, it can be shipped and is now due to enter service in July follow-
on to markets beyond Greece, including Bul- ing delays during construction. The 3 bcm per
garia, which is a participant in Alexandroup- year project will help increase the region’s gas
olis LNG through gas transmission operator interconnectivity further still. It will allow Bul-
Bulgartransgaz. garia to import gas from Greek LNG terminals
Along with Bulgartransgaz, Cypriot LNG and potentially also supplies delivered via the
carrier operator GasLog and Greek gas compa- Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) from Azerbai-
nies DESFA and DEPA Commercial are also par- jan, helping Sofia to reduce its dependence on
ticipants in the Alexandroupolis project. In late Russian gas.™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 05 04•February•2022