Skangas realizes first small-scale LNG loading at Statoil terminal

Skangas informed that it successfully completed the first small scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) loading at the Statoil operated LNG plant at Melkøya island outside Hammerfest in Norway. Statoil delivered the cargo of 100 GWh to Skangas’ vessel Coral Energy.

The operation was conducted on the large-scale jetty at Melkøya LNG plant. The LNG from Melkøya was delivered to Skangas’ terminal in Lysekil, Sweden where Skangas has a LNG terminal serving one of their major customers.

It is the gas from the Snøhvit field that arrives at Melkøya terminal where it is converted into LNG. Conversion to LNG makes it possible to transport gas by purpose-built vessels and therefore industries can use gas as energy although they are not connected to a gas grid.

According to Kimmo Rahkamo, CEO of Skangas, a future possible supply alternative from the northern part of Norway could make it easier to open up for new deliveries along the entire coast of Norway.

Earlier this year, Statoil and Skangas also did the first small scale LNG loading at the Klaipeda Terminal in Lithuania. In Northern Europe, the company focuses on LNG market with the new LNG bunker vessel Coralius.

Coralius, the first LNG bunkering vessel built in Europe, completed its maiden voyage in Norway in early September, delivering LNG to the Skangas-operated terminal in Ora, Fredrikstad. The vessel also bunkered LNG to ‘Ternsund’ tanker in the Port of Gothenburg, in its first operation at the port, in early October.