Shell Ships LNG from Gate’s 3rd Jetty
Shell has loaded LNG at the Rotterdam-based Gate LNG terminal’s new third jetty, using the small tanker Coral Methane.
The oil major decided to book capacity in the new small-scale LNG facility two years ago, giving Gate the confidence to proceed with the investment.
Gate LNG’s managing director Rolf Brouwer told NGW: "The Gate terminal and its shareholders Gasunie and Vopak are excited to be sharing this milestone with Shell. Demand for LNG as a fuel in the shipping industry is increasing, and Gate terminal is playing a leading role in providing the infrastructure and operations to load LNG on behalf of Shell on board of vessels for further distribution."
Gate announced the completion of its third berth and special infrastructure for loading small LNG vessels at the end of August. Whereas its two original jetties can unload, and load, large ocean-going tankers into three 180,000 m3 LNG storage tanks, the new third berth now enables volumes of between 1,000 m3 to 20,000 m3 to be unloaded, and this will increase to 40,000 m3 in the longer term.
Coral Methane, which can carry 7,500 m3, loaded at Gate on September 19/20. The vessel is scheduled to unload at Linde-owned AGA Gas’s Nynashamn mini-LNG terminal, near Stockholm in Sweden, early September 23. The terminal is also used by marine LNG distributor Bomin Linde.
Coral Methane on an earlier visit to Nynashamn terminal near Stockholm (Photo credit: Bomin Linde)
Last month Shell committed to develop a new small-scale LNG import terminal in Gibraltar.
Mark Smedley