Page 14 - GLNG Week 01 2021

GLNG EUROPE GLNG

North Macedonia to buy 10%

stake in Greek LNG terminal

INVESTMENT NORTH Macedonia’s government said it will project. This also includes a system of a sub-
invest €6.5mn-7.5mn ($8.0-9.2mn) to acquire a sea and an onshore gas transmission pipeline
10% stake in the LNG terminal in Alexandroup- through which the received gas will shipped into
olis, Greece. the Greek National Natural Gas System (NNGS)
This is seen as one of the most important and onwards to customers.
energy projects for North Macedonia as it will Zaev said that the construction of the inter-
enable diversification of gas energy sources and connector with Greece is worth €54mn ($66mn),
the overall gasification of the country. of which North Macedonia provided €14mn
“I am announcing the first direct investment ($17mn) in grants from the investment frame-
for next year, which is our participation in the work for the Western Balkans.
Alexandroupolis gas pipeline in Greece,” North “All documents have been completed, and at
Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on the beginning of 2021 we expect the start of the
December 30. construction of the interconnector,” Zaev said,
The floating LNG (FLNG) terminal is being adding that this will enable the country to receive
developed by Greece’s Gastrade. Bulgaria’s natural gas from a variety of countries, including
state-owned gas grid operator Bulgartransgaz Azerbaijan, Turkey and Qatar.
agreed to take a 20% stake in the terminal in North Macedonia, through state-run power
early 2020. producer ESM, also plans to gain 25% ownership
The facility is due to come online in 2022, in the gas-fired power plant near the LNG ter-
and will form part of the broader Alexandroup- minal in Alexandroupolis. The power plant will
olis Independent Natural Gas System (INGS) have an installed capacity of up to 800 MW.™

EC backs Spanish LNG bunkering initiative

PIPELINES & THE European Commission has backed the
TRANSPORT construction of an LNG bunkering vessel to
serve in the Spanish port of Algeciras with a
€11mn ($13.4mn) loan, the country’s LNG ter-
minal operator Enagas said in late December.
The bunkering barge is due to enter service in
2023, and will be loaded with LNG at the Enagas
terminal in Huelva, and then either supply the
gas directly to end consumers or transfer it to
smaller bunkering vessels. Its storage capacity
will be 12,500 cubic metres.
The EC’s funds, drawn from its Connecting
Europe infrastructure facility, will cover 20% of
the project’s cost. Brussels provided a further society DNV/GL, there are now 175 LNG-
€15mn in support to an Enagas-led bunkering fuelled ships in operation in the world, serviced
project in Barcelona last year. Both schemes are by 20 LNG bunkering barges.
part of the LNG Hive2 initiative led by the Span- LNG bunkering operations in Spain increased
ish Ports Authority. fourfold year on year in January to November
Advocates for LNG’s use in shipping point 2020. And the number of Spanish ports that can
to its reduced emissions compared to fuel oil supply ships with LNG has risen to 11, versus
grades. It produces virtually no sulphur oxides, six in 2019.
80-90% less nitrogen oxides and 20-30% less The port of Algeciras has been providing
carbon dioxide, Enagas noted. LNG bunkering since 2012, but so far has only
There has been a surge in LNG bunkering in used the truck-to-ship method. Seven truck-to-
recent years, driven partly by stricter Interna- ship bunkering operations took place at the port
tional Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules on in 2020, supplying four times more gas than in
emissions. According to Norwegian classification the previous year.™

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 01 08•January•2020