Public authorities have selected TotalEnergies’ LNG floating terminal project as a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) import point in Le Havre, the Seine-Maritime prefecture reports on Friday.
It is one of the group’s two FSRU (floating regasification unit) vessels “which will allow the injection of up to 5,000 million m3 of natural gas (around 60% of the Russian gas imported by France in 2021) per year into the national network” and should start its activity in September 2023, we could read in the press release.
The power struggle between Moscow and the West since the start of the conflict in Ukraine has led to a natural gas supply crisis across Europe.
About 10% of French annual consumption
France currently has four LNG import port terminals (2 in Fos-sur-Mer, 1 in Montoir de Bretagne and 1 in Dunkirk) and wanted to secure this supply with a new terminal.
Moored in the port of Le Havre, the “Cape Ann” vessel will be able to inject “around 10% of French annual consumption”, according to the prefecture, from the methane tankers that will come to supply it with gas “possibly from Norway”. Algeria, Qatar, the United States, Nigeria, Angola or even Egypt.”
In the autumn of 2022, the refurbishment and dock connection works carried out by TotalEnergies and GRTgaz are expected to begin for this “provisional project” that “intends to be dismantled when supply tensions have been overcome.” The safety and security risk assessment studies are “almost finished”, according to the prefect who is examining a file called “case by case”.
Source: BFM TV
