LNG terminal operated by Klaipėdos nafta received 40 gas carrier since the start of operations

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal operated by KN (AB Klaipėdos nafta) receives already the 40th gas carrier since the start of operations of the LNG terminal. It is a small-scale bunkering vessel “Cardissa” and this is the 4th small-scale LNG reloading operation.

The bunker ship “Cardissa” of Shell Western LNG B.V. (Shell) arrived at the port of Klaipėda in the morning of 17 October. The bunker vessel will be filled with 6300 cubic metres of LNG from the storage vessel “Independence”. The client is UAB Lietuvos dujų tiekimas. This is the 40th ship-to-ship operation at the LNG terminal owned by KN. Until quite recently, i.e. three years ago, Lithuanian consumers paid the highest price for gas in Europe. Whereas after the LNG terminal project was implemented and the terminal started its operations, the Lithuanian gas price has fallen most significantly among all European countries. Klaipėda LNG terminal is able to satisfy 100 per cent of the natural gas demand in Lithuania and 90 per cent of the natural gas demand in neighbouring Latvia and Estonia.

Last time the bunker vessel “Cardissa” visited the port of Klaipėda in mid-September and delivered the cargo of approx. 1000 cubic metres of LNG required for the works of launch and adjustment of the KN LNG distribution station. This is the fourth small-scale LNG reloading operation which KN began to carry out in early 2017.

“Since the end of 2014 Klaipėda LNG terminal has provided Baltic consumers with over 28 billion kWh, or 28 TWh, of natural gas. The service of LNG reloading into small-scale gas carriers has been provided since the start of 2017 and the progress has been successful, with LNG being carried from Klaipėda to Scandinavian LNG terminals. In this way a solid infrastructure of LNG and natural gas supply is created. At the end of this month it will be supplemented by KN-owned LNG distribution station, thus creating the range of integrated LNG reloading, storage, gasification and supply by land and sea services at the port of Klaipėda. All LNG market participants without exception may use these services under equal conditions,” sums up KN CEO Mindaugas Jusius.

According to him, it is a welcome fact that Shell sees the Baltic Sea Region as important and prospective for LNG market participants. It is namely the Baltic Sea where the bunker vessel “Cardissa” of this global company has been carrying out LNG transportation operations since its launch this September.

From the beginning of operation of KN LNG terminal in 2014, it has accepted as many as 40 LNG gas carriers, four of which have been small scale.