LNG Croatia turns to Wärtsilä to extend regasification capacity of Krk LNG terminal

June 15, 2023, by Ajsa Habibic

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has secured a contract to extend the capacity of the regasification system installed onboard the LNG Croatia, a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) owned by Zagreb-based LNG Croatia.

Under the contract, Wärtsilä will extend the capacity of the 280-metre-long FSRU, which operates as the LNG terminal on Krk Island, with a new regasification module that will supplement the vessel’s existing onboard Wärtsilä regasification system.

The new module will increase the terminal’s capacity with 212 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) or 250,000 m3 per hour to help position Croatia as an energy hub for the region.

In addition to the new regasification train, Wärtsilä will supply the engineering for the capacity conversion. The plant will be installed during the summer of 2025.

The project is said to represent a significant investment in Croatia’s energy infrastructure and is expected to have positive economic and environmental impacts.

“The existing Wärtsilä regasification module onboard the ‘LNG Croatia’ has been efficient and reliable. We are pleased therefore to once again turn to Wärtsilä for this new unit that will allow us to meet our expansion plans,” said Ivan Fugaš, Managing Director of LNG Hrvatska.

“The expansion project for the Krk terminal is very significant in strengthening Croatia’s energy security and gas supply. We at Wärtsilä are very proud to support this project with our advanced regasification technology. This latest order reflects the fact that our systems represent an industry benchmark in terms of energy efficiency, robustness, and operational flexibility,” commented Kjell Ove Ulstein, Sales and Marketing Director, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.

Being Croatia’s first LNG import facility, the FSRU-based terminal started commercial operations on 1 January 2021. The vessel, formerly known as Golar Viking, was converted at China’s Huarun Dadong yard and delivered in mid-September 2020.