Gasunie, Vopak Sign LNG Deal with Shell

Gasunie and Vopak have announced that supermajor Shell will be its first customer for the jointly constructed Dutch LNG bulk terminal to be built in Maasvlakte near Rotterdam.

In a joint statement, Gasunie and Vopak said that the agreement marked an "important step" in the development of the LNG project, which aims to distribute LNG to marine bunkering and truck fuelling stations on a small scale basis.

"We are pleased to welcome Shell as our launching customer for our joint LNG Break Bulk terminal near Rotterdam," Chairman and CEO of Vopak, Eelco Hoekstra said. "This is a major step in facilitating LNG as an effective alternative for traditional transport fuels."

The terminal will be built adjacent to the Gate terminal, an LNG terminal already in operation. The Gate terminal will pipe LNG to the new terminal, with the new terminal then breaking down the LNG into smaller quantities for further distribution.

Chairman and CEO of Gasunie Paul van Gelder said that the fuel would be advantageous to customers seeking to reduce emission levels.

"LNG as a transport fuel is a solution for the transport sector which will be confronted with stringent EU emission requirements as from 2015," he said. "We aim to facilitate the break bulk LNG services as independent, open access infrastructure providers."

The LNG Break Bulk terminal is expected to go into operation in 2014.