Page 10 - EurOil Week 07 2021

EurOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT EurOil

Fluxys takes FID on Zeebrugge

LNG expansion

BELGIUM BELGIAN gas transmission operator Fluxys came after Russian LNG exporter Novatek
has taken a final investment decision (FID) on began using a new transhipment tank at the site
The terminal’s capacity an expansion at the Zeebrugge LNG import in December 2019 for cargoes from its Yamal
will reach 12.6mn tpy terminal. LNG plant in the Russian Arctic. Ice-class carri-
by 2026. The company signed off on the project after ers offload Yamal LNG’s supplies at the tank for
the success of a recently concluded open season collection by standard tankers.
process. The full 6mn tonnes per year (tpy) of The number of unloading operations at
LNG capacity on offer was subscribed for during Zeebrugge fell last year to 50 cargoes from 71
the process, it said. in 2019, and the number of small-scale reload-
The Zeebrugge terminal is currently capable ing operations halved from 20 to 10. LNG ter-
of bringing ashore up to 6.6mn of LNG. But its minals across Europe saw reduced imports last
capacity will be raised to 11.3mn tpy by early year because of the impact of the coronavirus
2024 and 12.6mn tpy by 2026. (COVID-19) on gas demand.
The FID on the expansion comes after the The number of overall vessel operations
Zeebrugge terminal saw record usage last year climbed to 172 in 2020 from 130. A record 3,195
thanks to a surge in transhipment operations. trucks were also loaded with LNG at the site that
Some 111 such operations took place in the year, year. A monthly record of 418 was also set in Jan-
compared with only 38 in 2019. The growth uary this year. ™

Germany to negotiate with US

on Nord Stream 2 pipeline

GERMANY GERMANY is seeking to make a deal with the the energy market, as well as offering Germany’s
US for the completion of Russian Nord Stream support to US liquefied natural gas imports with
The Biden 2 pipeline via the Baltic Sea that has been the construction of LNG terminals.
administration may under consistent sanction pressure, Bloomberg “German, EU and US officials are in talks
have resigned itself reported on February 16 citing sources familiar about a package of measures which seeks to
to the fact that the with the matter. enhance Ukrainian stability and European
pipeline will be As followed by bne IntelliNews, the con- energy sovereignty,” CDU energy lawmaker
completed. struction of the pipeline was halted for a year Mark Helfrich told Bloomberg.
due to sanctions, but Russian gas giant Gazprom The package could include the possibility
is determined to complete both lines of Nord of stopping Russian gas supply through Nord
Stream 2 by the end of April 2021. Stream 2 if Russia breaches its gas obligations
The US may be prepared to enter talks with under the Ukrainian treaty, or if it severely
Germany on easing its sanctions on Nord Stream breaches international law or human rights,
2, German business paper Handelsblatt said ear- according to Helfrich.
lier this month, signalling that the US President “It won’t be easy to convince the US to
Joe Biden’s administration may have resigned back off sanctions,” Richard Morningstar,
itself to the fact that the Russian pipeline will be founding chairman of the Atlantic Coun-
completed. cil’s Global Energy Center and Former US
Reportedly, the coalition of Chancellor Ambassador to the European Union, told
Angela Merkel is working on a proposal that Bloomberg.
will attempt to soften Russia’s influence over the “It will not be easy to come up with some kind
European energy market, addressing some of of resolution that takes into account the interests
the US’ concerns about the project, Bloomberg of all stakeholders, as well as recognises Rus-
writes. sia’s recent behaviour. It is down to Germany to
The strategy includes a regulatory mechanism come up with a strong proposal,” Morningstar
that would limit Russia’s ability to manipulate suggested. ™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 07 17•February•2021