Rotterdam’s Gate Terminal Starts Construction of New LNG Bunkering and Break Bulk Facility

Construction of a new LNG break bulk facility on the Gate terminal in Rotterdam kicked off this weekend with the ceremonial floor breaking.

The undertaking entails the enlargement of the Gate terminal, with primary shareholders Gasunie and Royal Vopak Gate terminal, to incorporate a brand new LNG break bulk facility that’s anticipated to spice up using liquefied pure gasoline (LNG) as a cleaner and extra inexpensive transportation gasoline for ships, ferries and vehicles throughout the Netherlands and Northwest Europe. The new facility might be situated on the Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, subsequent to the prevailing Gate LNG import terminal.

Construction begins with the excavation of a brand new harbor basin subsequent to Gate terminal by the Port of Rotterdam.

The break bulk operations will cut up up large-scale LNG shipments into smaller parcels, enabling its distribution to numerous markets throughout Europe. The Gate terminal has been receiving abroad LNG shipments since 2011. The LNG is then saved, reloaded or regasified for the Northwest European gasoline grid.

“Gasunie, Vopak and Gate have jointly developed an innovative LNG break bulk concept upgrading the LNG hub capabilities of Gate terminal and enabling our customers to supply LNG as cleaner fuel for transport, shipping and industrial applications.” Allard Castelein, CEO of Port of Rotterdam Authority: “We are striving to make logistics more sustainable and promote the transition from fuel oil to LNG as fuel for shipping. Furthermore, we want to strengthen our position as the most important European LNG hub.”

As a part of the enlargement undertaking, the Port of Rotterdam Authority will construct a brand new harbor basin and quay wall, which is deliberate to be delivered finish of 2015. Gate will assemble the LNG installations, together with berthing and loading services devoted to bunkerships and smaller tankers enabling LNG bunker operations within the port of Rotterdam and distribution of LNG in Northwest Europe. The new services are primarily based on a multi-user service mannequin, open to all events, and could have a most capability of 280 berthing slots per yr. The finalization of the development, commissioning and first loading operations are deliberate in the direction of the tip of H1 2016.

The use of LNG as a gasoline is anticipated to develop considerably following the introduction of stringent new emission rules (SECA) for the marine sector within the North Sea and within the Baltic Sea from 2015. By utilizing LNG as a gasoline, barges, coasters, ferries, in addition to heavy obligation vehicles, can scale back their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by as much as 20%, their nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by as much as 85%, whereas decreasing sulphur and particle emissions to virtually zero. For these causes, the Dutch authorities and the European Union encourage the event of LNG as a transportation gasoline. Surveys by the Dutch ministery of Economic Affairs point out that the introduction of LNG as a transport gasoline may additionally carry appreciable financial progress and employment.

As a launching associate, Shell Netherlands has already dedicated to purchase capability from Gate terminal, and the corporate has not too long ago ordered a specialised LNG bunker vessel, to produce LNG-fueled vessels in Northwest Europe. The new vessel might be primarily based on the port of Rotterdam within the Netherlands, and can load from the brand new LNG break bulk infrastructure.

“The new infrastructure will enable us to further improve our service to customers,” says Dick Benschop, president director of Shell Netherlands. “We expect LNG will form a bigger part of the transport fuel mix in the future.”

The undertaking has additionally acquired co-financing beneath the European Union’s TEN-T programme