Page 10 - EurOil Week 27 2021

EurOil PIPELINES & TRANSPORT EurOil

TotalEnergies, other French firms eye bio-LNG

FRANCE FRENCH energy firms TotalEnergies and Engie, work in the South of France. Engie, meanwhile,
along with waste treatment plant operator EveRe will provide LNG terminals operated by its sub-
TotalEnergies will and shipping and logistics firm CMA CGM, sidiary Elengy in France to store and deliver the
provide the bunkering, have teamed up to develop bio-LNG in the South bio-LNG for the new project.
EveRe the feedstock of France. “The project fits perfectly into the local eco-
and Engie the LNG The project would involve using biodegrada- system, benefitting from the particularly well-
terminals to store and ble waste from Marseilles-Provence to produce suited and already existing infrastructure at the
deliver the gas. low-carbon shipping fuel, primarily for CMA Grand Port Maritime, including EveRe’s waste
CGM’s growing fleet of LNG-powered cargo car- methanisation unit, Elengy’s LNG terminals ...
riers. The area’s household waste can help reduce TotalEnergies’ bunker vessel ... and CMA CGM’s
air pollutants from shipping, the companies said. fleet of LNG-powered vessels,” CMA CGM
Bio-LNG has been touted as one of the most explained in a statement. “The feasibility study
feasible low-carbon shipping fuels, available for has been launched within the framework of this
ships now while others such as hydrogen and large-scale project, which corresponds with the
ammonia are still at a developmental stage. CMA national drive to promote bio-LNG as defined in
CGM, which expects to have 44 LNG-powered France’s Mobility Orientation Law.”
ships in its fleet by 2025, estimates that bio-LNG LNG is growing rapidly across the world as a
reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a low-carbon option for shipping. Shipowners will
well-to-wake basis by 67% versus very low sul- have added incentive to adopt the fuel if the EU
phur fuel oil, while on a tank-to-wake basis, the opts to include shipping in its emissions trading
reduction is 88%. system, as is expected. Further ahead, France and
TotalEnergies is already bunkering CMA other Mediterranean states are deciding whether
CGM’s vessels under a long-term contract using to make the sea an emissions control area (ECA),
its Gas Agility bunkering barge. It plans to bring which would also encourage more switching to
another barge into operation next year that will LNG. ™

Albania readies for Caspian gas

ALBANIA THE consortium operating the Trans-Adriatic while its power mix almost entirely comprises
Pipeline (TAP) has agreed terms with Albania’s hydroelectric capacity. The country has vast
But for the time being, energy ministry on the development of a gas untapped solar energy potential, however.
the Balkan country entry point at Fier, which in the future will enable While Albania lacks any active gas-fired power
lacks a gas grid. the Balkan country to access Caspian gas. generation, it does have a 100-MW thermal power
Representing the third and final section of the plant (TPP) in the southern port of Vlora that is
Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) network of pipe- capable of running on gas in addition to oil. The
lines, TAP began flowing gas from Azerbaijan’s station was commission in 2009 but remains
Shah Deniz field across Albanian territory to the offline because of a cooling system failure.
Italian market in January. Albania might one Albania’s government also signed a mem-
day be able to use this gas for its own purposes, orandum of understanding (MoU) in March
but the country currently lacks a gas grid, or any with ExxonMobil and US floating LNG (FLNG)
active gas-powered generation. operator Excelerate Energy on developing an
TAP said the entry point would “significantly LNG import terminal in Vlora. There has been
strengthen the geo-strategic and commercial no update on the project since.
role of Albania in the region,” without disclosing In related news, Shah Deniz operator BP
when the facility was expected to be completed, announced this week that production had
how much it would cost to build or its capacity. It started at a new East South deepwater flank at the
will be situated next to a TAP compressor station field. The project is anticipated to yield 400mn
and will be capable of bi-directional flow. It will cubic feet (11.33mn cubic metres) per day or
include pressure reduction and fiscal metering 4.13bn cubic metres per year at full capacity,
facilities. which it should reach in the third quarter. This
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama hailed will ensure that overall output from Shah Deniz’s
the agreement with TAP, noting that one day second phase of development is “well over” 2.4
the country could transform “practically into bcf per day, or 24.8 bcm per year, BP said.
a net exporter of energy,” by “introducing gas The UK major noted that the extra supply
as another component into the economic and would ensure that the Shah Deniz consortium
social life of the country.” can fulfil its existing supply contracts for gas
Albania is known more for its oil production, from Shah Deniz Stage 2.™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 27 08•July•2021