Commissioning starts at Klaipėdos’ LNG reloading station

Oil and LNG operator Klaipėdos Nafta has commenced the commissioning works at its LNG reloading station, after a commissioning cargo was delivered to the station by Cardissa, a bunker vessel owned by Shell Western LNG.

In early August, KN concluded a contract with Shell on completion of procurement of LNG intended for the infrastructure commissioning works.

Shell’s Cardissa vessel arrived to the Klaipėda Seaport on 17 September, filled with LNG from ‘Independence’ floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU). According to the contract, 1,000 cubic meters of LNG were reloaded to the bunker vessel. Two of the five storage tanks of the LNG reloading station will be filled with this amount.

    Mindaugas Jusius, KN‘s Managing Director, said: “The commissioning works enable us to test the entire infrastructure for the LNG logistics in the Klaipėda Seaport. First, the reloading of LNG from the large terminal to a small-scale LNG carrier, then from the carrier to the LNG reloading station, and finally to LNG tank trucks… The success of the test will be a signal to the market that distribution of LNG in Klaipėda has been launched.”

It is estimated that all phases of the LNG reloading station‘s commissioning works will be completed by the end of the autumn, and commercial operations will be launched in the first half-year of 2018 upon approval of the construction completion certificate.