Elengy LNG vessel berthing operation at Fos Cavou
Elengy, a pioneer in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and subsidiary of GRTgaz within the ENGIE Group, will work with Fosmax LNG, its subsidiary and owner of the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal, to offer a new LNG bunker-vessel loading service. Elengy operates and develops three LNG terminals in France: Montoir-de-Bretagne on the Atlantic coast, Fos Tonkin and Fos Cavaou on the Mediterranean coast.
The company says the loading service will support the sea transport industry in its efforts to combat climate change. This service will enable the terminal to accommodate smaller vessels (capacity less than 20,000 m3) which, after loading their LNG tanks at Fos Cavaou, will be able to supply ships in the port of Marseille-Fos and other sites in the Mediterranean sea.
More and more cruise ships, container ships and ferries now operate or plan to operate using LNG, a response to the challenges of energy transition in terms of cleaner energy. Economically very competitive, LNG and natural gas reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) by a quarter, NOx emissions (NOx) by 90% and sulfur emissions (SOx) and particulate matter by almost 100% compared to currently-used shipping fuels. This makes LNG, available now, an essential alternative energy source for sea transport.
In recognition of its positive impact on energy transition, 30% of the project is being financed by European funding.
Fos LNG hub
This new service primarily calls for work to modify the wharf at the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal, which will be completed in June 2019. It enriches the offer of the Fos-sur-Mer LNG terminals, which already accommodate the unloading of LNG carriers ranging from 20,000 m3 to 265,000 m3 (Q-Max type extra large LNG tankers).
Elengy and Fosmax LNG estimate that the Fos Cavaou terminal will be able to accommodate around 50 micro-tankers per year, in other words one a week, always under optimal conditions of safety, reliability and performance.
Marine LNG
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas that is rendered liquid by cooling to minus 160°C. For the same amount of natural gas, the volume of LNG is about 600 times lower than that of its gaseous state. The transport of natural gas in liquid form at atmospheric pressure allows ships to carry large amounts of energy resulting in an efficient and competitive means of transportation to diversify sources and supply routes and access remote gas reserves.
Owner of the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal, Fosmax LNG is a subsidiary of Elengy (72.5%) and Total (27.5%).
Source: Elengy – ENGIE is an associate member of NGV Global through NGVA Europe
