Queen Beatrix officially opens new Gate LNG terminal at Rotterdam Port

26 Sep 2011 - Port Planning, Ports, Rotterdam

• Queen Beatrix officialy opens Gate terminal

• Gate terminal is the first LNG import terminal in the Netherlands

Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands officially opened Gate terminal, the first Dutch Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminal, on Friday.

Gate (Gas Access To Europe) terminal is located at Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam and has been developed by N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and Royal Vopak.

Hundreds of foreign dignitaries, national and international guests amongst others attended the official opening ceremony.

The terminal will serve as an independent distribution point for European energy companies to address the rising demand for and declining production of natural gas in northwestern Europe.

As an independent import terminal for LNG, Gate terminal will be an important factor for the European receipt of gas from other overseas territories. The terminal will both increase the security of supplies and enable new players to enter the European gas market.

“Gate terminal marks a crucial next step in the development of the Netherlands as the gas hub of Northwest Europe. Over the last decade, gas has changed from a local energy source into a global commodity,” commented the Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, Maxime Verhagen.

“More and more countries are linking into a worldwide gas web – a web in which the Netherlands as home to Gate terminal, the Gas Access To Europe, can play a pivotal role,” Verhagen added.

Gate terminal has already began to receive LNG by ship, which is subsequently regasified and prepared for distribution to the Dutch gas transport network and further transport to northwestern European markets.

With an initial throughput capacity of 12 billion cubic meters per annum (equals 25% of annual Dutch gas consumption), the terminal consists of three storage tanks with a total storage capacity of 540,000 cubic meters, two jetties and a process area where the LNG is being regasified.

In the future, the terminal’s throughput capacity can be increased to 16 billion cubic meters per annum with the building of a fourth tank.

“The decision on expansion of Gate terminal capacity will be determined by availability of clients. The decision will be taken some time in the future,” Vopak's Chief Executive, Eelco Hoekstra, told reporters on Friday. Hoekstra also added that Vopak and Gasunie have expressed an interest in the build of new jetties and small-scale terminal facilities that would aid increased transport of LNG from the main terminal. “Our objective is to be an independent LNG provider globally. We are looking for more opportunities to invest. We look for strong partnerships,” added Hoekstra.

 

 

Staff Writer: Linton Nightingale