Prime Minister of Lithuania names arrival of LNG storage vessel a crucial step towards energy independence
The LNG storage vessel Independence for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal arrived in Klaipėda on Monday. Attending the welcoming ceremony, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius stressed that this is a historic day not only for Lithuania, but for the Baltic region as a whole, press center of Lithuanian Government says .
‘The regional LNG terminal in Klaipėda opens up opportunities for Latvia and Estonia and all Baltic countries, to make use of alternative sources of gas supply, to obtain competitive prices, to integrate into the internal European Union market and to reinforce our common energy security. Moreover, the influence of this facility in the negotiations on reduced gas prices for Lithuanian consumers is already felt even before the start of its operation’, noted Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius.
‘Being late was not an option, although we had to solve a number of puzzles in the course of construction. I am proud to say that Lithuania has managed to build this terminal, the first of its kind in Europe, at a record speed of 1.5 years. This was a very complicated project, carried out in the vicinity of a UNESCO-protected area, in line with environmental regulations. It demanded novel technical solutions and a high level of expertise’, the head of the Lithuanian Government observed.
On this occasion, Algirdas Butkevičius has also received a letter of congratulations from the US Secretary of State John Kerry, who notes that regional coordination on energy policy and the realisation of such critical projects are now more important than ever to ensure energy future for Europe.
‘Our longstanding friendship with Lithuania is grounded in our shared support for democracy, human rights and free markets. The opening of the Klaipėda LNG terminal represents a historic milestone in the Baltic states’ energy security. We commend Lithuania’s strong and sustained leadership and strategic vision to bring this and other critical energy diversification projects to fruition”, states the US Secretary of State in his letter to the Prime Minister.
The Terminal will be the key instrument in ensuring diversification of the supply of energy resources as well as a real source of alternative supply of natural gas. It will consist of three major parts: a floating storage with a re-gasification unit, a quay for mooring, and a high pressure gas pipeline connected to the main pipeline.