Dutch Gate terminal starts offering transshipment services

“ The necessary modifications to the installations were done and this service has been offered to our customers since the start of September ,” Stefaan Adriaens, Commercial Manager of the Gate terminal told LNG World News on Wednesday.

This service ensures cargo transshipment directly between two LNG tankers without the chilled gas passing through one of Gate’s three 180,000 cbm tanks.

However, the LNG transshipment service with a maximum flow rate of 10,000 cbm/h, has still not been used by any of Gate’s customers.

“ We do not know when our customers will use the transhipment service for the first time ,” Adriaens said.

The number of ships calling at Gate has been increasing steadily since the start-up in 2011 (8 in 2011, 10 in 2012, 23 in 2013 and 34 in 2014).

The first Dutch LNG import terminal, owned by Gasunie and Vopak, has also been quite busy this year with more than 30 ships calling at the facility.

“ By the end of September there were 16 unloads, 11 large reloads and 11 small reloads ,” according to Adriaens.

Basically, this means that Gate is handling one liquefied natural gas carrier per week, he added.

Gate and the Port of Rotterdam are currently building a new break bulk facility located next to the terminal that will enable LNG distribution for small scale use.

“ The break bulk facility will expand our service offering and strengthen links with nearby regional LNG markets such as Scandinavia, as well as support the development of LNG as a bunker fuel around Rotterdam ,” Adriaens said.

The construction of the basin for the break bulk facility by the Port of Rotterdam is progressing well and is expected to be finalised by year’s end.

Once these works are completed, Gate will start building the loading arms and other processing equipment.

“ Engineering and procurement are basically completed. The facility should become operational in the summer of 2016 ,” Adriaens concluded.

LNG World News Staff; Image: Gate