ENEL, with Endesa, enters the small scale LNG

Endesa, a subsidiary of Enel, the leading electricity group in Spain, will build a coastal depot for LNG bunkering in the port of Los Barrios, in the bay of Algeciras (Cadiz), using the pier and port area historically used for the handling of the coal needed for decommissioning power plants. Similar situations are also present in Italy, in all ports serving Enel's coal-fired power plants, as in Genoa, so much so that last July the electricity company set up the new Enel Logistic team, with the aim of enhancing these areas.

For the coastal deposit in the bay of Alcegiras Endesa has foreseen an initial allocation of approximately 15.6 million euros, with a total cost of approximately 34.5 million euros by 2023. The project, authorized by the Port of Algeciras Bay Authority, it will have an initial storage capacity of approximately 4,080 cubic meters. The port terminal of Endesa al Alcegiras is suitable for all types of ships of any draft, which gives the plant great flexibility and versatility.

The Los Barrios site has space for possible future expansion depending on the evolution of demand (two additional docks). The plant will in fact be able to progressively increase its storage capacity as demand and supply of LNG bunkering grow from the initial 4,080 cubic meters up to 10,000 cubic meters. The terminal also plans to build an LNG refueling station for trucks. This expansion and modification will open the door to new business lines associated with the LNG that Enel imports from the United States at the Barcelona regasification plant.

Los Barrios is one of the most important bunkering ports in the world; every year, around 120,000 ships cross the Strait of Gibraltar, 30,000 of which call or anchor in the Bay of Algeciras. The port is fourth in Europe for volume of activity and 32nd in the world for container traffic, with 100 million tons of total traffic and the handling of more than 4.5 million containers.