Page 12 - GLNG Week 49 2021

GLNG NEWS IN BRIEF GLNG

AFRICA emissions. Funding of Mozambique’s project, Nigeria holds a 60% interest in the
one of largest packages, was not halted. Yoho crude oil joint venture, through the
UK sued by Friends of the unlawful as it contradicts the UK’s obligation Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
FOE deems the funding decision to be
(NNPC). ExxonMobil’s upstream affiliate
Earth over Mozambique LNG to help other countries meet their own climate Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN)
holds the remaining 40% and operates the
targets to limit the global temperature rise to
project 1.5 degrees, as set out in the Paris Agreement. development.

The UK credit agency’s financial support for
Mozambique’s natural gas project is being UTM Offshore inks $5bn AMERICAS
challenged in the British High Court by
Friends of the Earth (FOE). financing deal with WEB and Eagle LNG enter
The High Court began on December
7, 2021 hearing the case filed by the FOE Afreximbank for Nigeria’s into landmark clean LNG
contesting United Kingdom Export Finance’s
(UKEF) decision to give about $1.15bn to first FLNG project supply agreement
fund a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in
Mozambique. Nigeria’s marine and services group UTM Eagle LNG Partners, a US company based
The hearing of the legal suit goes on Offshore has signed a deal with Afreximbank in Houston, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida,
until December 9 this year. FOE seeks to to secure up to $5bn to develop the country’s has completed a long-term supply contract
halt the credit agency’s decision to approve first floating LNG producer, the trade to establish a liquefied natural gas (LNG)
$1.15bn of British taxpayers’ money to help publication LNG Prime reports. receiving and regasification terminal in Aruba
fund the $20bn LNG project that is led by Under the MoU signed on December 7 in with WEB Aruba, the local power and water
TotalEnergies of France. Abuja, Afreximbank will provide $2bn for the utility. The project confirms Aruba’s growing
“The challenge is being heard on grounds FLNG project’s first phase and $3bn for the importance as a regional hub and creates
that financing for Mozambique LNG project second, as well as offering other financial and new economic pillars. Today, the deal was
was permitted after it was incorrectly judged insurance support services. confirmed in a signing ceremony attended
to be compatible with the Paris Agreement,” UTM Offshore managing director and by the Minister of Labour, Energy and
said FOE. chief executive Julius Rone said the FLNG Integration Glenbert Croes and WEB Aruba
The environmental campaign group said would be the first such project developed by AI. CEO, Serapio (Laty) Wever.
in a press release (December 7) that the an African company on the continent. The Aruba LNG Terminal will serve as
funding decision was reached without proper “It will also significantly contribute to the WEB’s LNG receiving and regasification
assessment of the development’s climate Nigerian government’s agenda of reducing the terminal for its Balashi power plant. The
impacts against the Paris international treaty’s flaring of associated gas across our industry,” Terminal will be located at Refineria di
terms. he said, as quoted by LNG Prime. Aruba, an existing industrial location, in
The case, brought before judicial review, UTM Offshore earlier this year received San Nicolas, Aruba, where LNG from Eagle
will examine the British government’s decision a licence from Nigeria’s Department of LNG, will be received, stored and re-gasified
to grant funding for the project in northern Petroleum Resources to establish the country’s with natural gas delivered to the WEB power
part of Mozambique through its export credit first FLNG production plant. plant. Using LNG for power generation takes
agency, as approved by the Treasury. The company plans to install a liquefaction advantage of WEB’s existing investment in
The UK government in March 2021 ended unit with a capacity of 1.2mn tonnes per dual-fuel engines improving environmental
direct overseas investment in destructive fossil annum, sourcing gas from the Yoho field in performance and stabilizing fuel rates at
fuel projects, citing its ambition to drive down Oil Mining Lease 104, offshore Nigeria. historically low prices, while enabling the
introduction of more intermittent renewable
electricity generation on the island.
“LNG fits in WEB Aruba’s vision of cleaner,
greener and fuel oil free production and
we are working towards sustainable water
desalination and energy production and
supply. We welcome LNG as a transition fuel
that eventually should lead to a mix of 50%
renewable energy sources and 50% alternative
fuels,” said WEB Aruba AI. CEO, Serapio
(Laty) Wever.
The infrastructure investment is
approximately $100mn in Aruba and will
create up to 100 local jobs during construction
as well as highly-skilled operating jobs with
specialised training in critical capabilities
required as the world transitions to a net-zero
carbon future. The project will introduce low-
cost, stable energy to the island and enhance

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 49 10•December•2021