• 27 Feb 2017

Fosmax LNG issued a call for expressions of interest for small-scale LNG services at its Fos Cavaou LNG terminal on the Mediterranean coast, 50 km west of Marseille. In the Mediterranean, there are notable growth opportunities for developing LNG as a maritime fuel, LNG terminal operator Fosmax, a unit of Engie’s Elengy, said, adding that this is a result of regulations and increased environmental concern.

The company added that expressions of interest can be submitted until March 30, 2017.

The company is considering making a short/medium-term investment to modify its existing facilities and to be able to load the majority of existing or planned small-scale LNG vessels at the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal. Currently, the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal can receive vessels with a capacity between 15,000 and 270,000 cbm of liquefied natural gas, however, small-scale vessels that are currently in operation or under construction have a capacity between 5,000 and 7,500-cbm.

Under the scope of planned modifications, Fosmax LNG would adjust the loading/unloading arm work envelope, modify the configuration of the mooring hooks at the terminal’s jetty as well as change how vessels are accessed. In addition, the company intends to build in redundancy for equipment mobilized for vessel loading operations.

“Depending on the results of this call for expressions of interest, Fosmax LNG may initiate a binding reservation phase by mid-2017 if necessary and contemplate making the aforementioned investments,” Fosmax LNG said.

The small-scale LNG vessel loading service is scheduled to start commercial operation at the Fos Cavaou terminal in early 2019. Fosmax LNG further added that the service will allow one slot per week and plans to have up to 50 slots per year.

The Fos Cavaou LNG terminal has a storage capacity of 330,000 cubic meters and an 8.25 billion cubic meter  per year of regasification capacity, covering approximately six percent of France’s total natural gas consumption. As regards, 90% of capacity has been subscribed in the long term and 10% of capacity is available for underwriting in the form of short-term contracts.