Delays to European FSRU LNG import terminals

A number of LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) import terminals in Europe have delayed deliveries or lowered sendout on poor weather conditions.

The connection between the FSRU and terminal infrastructure for LNG sendout can be disrupted from high waves, particularly if the facility does not have a breakwater. But breakwaters are often only effective to a particular wave height, and should the wave exceed the technical capacity of the breakwater, operations would also need to pause.

Italy's 3.8mn t/yr Ravenna LNG import terminal does not have a breakwater, and has already recorded six days so far this year when sendout needed to be paused on poor wave conditions. The terminal's 170,000m³ BW Singapore FSRU moved offshore the facility on Monday, based on data from vessel tracker Kpler.

The 174,000m³ Aristos I was initially due to deliver at Ravenna on 30 January, based on the vessel's AIS signal (see vessel table), likely for the 31 January-7 February regasification slot. But the carrier is still holding offshore at present and has not declared a new arrival date.

Delays also appear to be impacting Italy's 3.9 mn t/yr Offshore LNG Toscana (OLT), and may affect the 3.8mn t/yr Piombino terminal. The 173,400m³ Megara has not declared a new arrival date after failing to deliver to OLT on 27 January, and may slip from its regasification slot schedule entirely based on the seven-day delay so far. And the 155,900m³ Wilpride has held offshore Piombino since Monday, although it has a declared delivery date of Wednesday.

Sendout dropped to just 43.3GWh at Ravenna on Monday, and OLT has had two instances of zero sendout so far this year (see Italian sendout chart).

Wave forecasts near Ravenna and Piombino are forecast to be as high as 4.4m on Wednesday, based on data from ItaliaMeteo.

In northwest Europe, Germany's 1.8mn t/yr Brunsbuttel terminal has lowered its available sendout capacity to just 1.04 kWh/h over 2-5 February compared with its technical capacity of 5.3 kWh/h due to adverse weather conditions, according to a GIE remit notice.

And nearby terminals — the 3.7mn t/yr Wilhelmshaven 1 and 3.3mn t/yr Wilhelmshaven 2 — are also likely to have been affected by the same adverse weather. The 174,000m³ Venture Creole and the 150,000m³ Clean Energy are holding offshore the terminals at present.

Sendout at Wilhelmshaven 1 dropped to zero on 30 January and Monday, based on data from the aggregated LNG storage inventory (see German sendout chart).

Waves are currently about 2.5m high in northern Germany near Brunsbuttel and Wilhelmshaven, according to the German maritime agency.

By Bonnie Lao

Selected Italian sendout GWh/d

Selected German sendout GWh/d