COUNTRY FOCUS 2021
In this section we look at some of the recent and current activities in individual European LNG importing countries .
Overview
Spain was Europe ’ s largest importer of LNG ( net of reexports ) in 2020 ( 15.37 MT ), followed by the UK ( 13.43 MT ), France ( 13.06 MT ), Turkey ( 10.72 MT ) and Italy ( 9.07 MT ). Gibraltar was Europe ’ s smallest importer ( 0.05 MT ). In the EU , Q1 2021 LNG imports fell 29 % year-on-year and for the UK the figure was slightly less , with an approximately 20 % reduction year-on-year .
Belgium
Belgium has one LNG import terminal – the Zeebrugge terminal – which provides storage , regasification , bunkering , cool down , reloading , trans-shipment , truck loading and rail loading services . Qatar Petroleum has signed up for the full capacity of the Zeebrugge LNG terminal ( currently 6.6 MTPA ) from the end of current longterm unloading contracts until 2044 . In February 2021 , Fluxys LNG reached FID to build 6 MTPA of additional regasification capacity . 4.7 MTPA will be operational in 2024 and the remaining 1.3 MTPA by 2026 . LNG imports into Belgium in 2020 were signicantly lower than in 2019 ( 7.33 MT showing a decline of -1.9 MT or 36.9 %) as were smallscale reloads ( down by 66.1 %), however truck loading in Belgium increased by 23 % over the same period .
Croatia
The 1.9 MTPA FSRU LNG Croatia on Krk Island in the northern Adriatic Sea started commercial operations in January 2021 , as scheduled . On 27 July 2021 , it announced the delivery of its first LNG cargo from Qatar by Q-Max . The FSRU LNG Croatia completed its first reloading in May 2021 , completing its existing unloading and regasification services .
Cyprus
Construction began on the 2.5 bcm / y Cynergy FSRU to be located offshore in Vasilikos Bay , near Limassol , in July 2020 . The facility is due to come online during the first quarter of 2022 . Cyprus currently doesn ’ t have a gas network so the regasified LNG will feed an 868 MW power plant and local industrial gas demand .
France
France has four LNG import terminals with ( currently ) a total capacity of 34.65 bcm / y . All four terminals now provide bunkering and truck loading services ( in addition to traditional regasification services ). LNG imports into France in 2020 fell by 16.1 % compared to 2019 , and truck loading in France increased by 31 % over the same period .
Dunkerque came into operation in 2017 and is the largest LNG regasification terminal in Continental Europe ( 13 MTPA ), supplying gas to French and Belgium markets . It launched truck loading services in 2020 offering 3,000 truck loading slots on a short-term and long-term basis . Its jetty has been adapted to provide small-scale unloading and reloading services which will be available this year .
Montoir de Bretagne came into operation in 1980 . It has a total capacity of 10 MTPA . In October 2020 , the Montoirde-Bretagne Terminal received its first LNG delivery by Q-Max . In May 2021 , the terminal ’ s operator – Elengy – halted send-out at its Montoir-de-Bretagne LNG terminal following a leak .
Fos Cavaou : The total capacity at Fos Cavaou is currently 6.8 MTPA . Expansions plans will result in capacity increasing to 8 MTPA from 2024 and 9.6 MTPA from 2030 .
Fos Tonki came into operation in 1972 . Plans to decommission the terminal have been replaced with Elengy ’ s decision to extend operations to 2028 . All capacity is booked until that date .
Finland
Finland has two small-scale LNG import terminals that provide bunkering and truck loading services .
Germany
In addition to its commitment to phase out coal-fired power by 2038 , Germany has committed to stop nuclear power production by 2022 , and gas supply to Germany from the Dutch Groningen field is also due to end in 2022 . As a result , Germany is looking to build its first LNG import terminal to reduce reliance on Russian pipeline gas – with potential sites identified at Brunsbüttel , Wilhelmshaven and Stade .
In November 2020 , Uniper suspended its plans to install an FSRU-based offshore Wilhelmshaven due to lack of market response . bracewell . com