EMEA News
Swedish Shipping, Industry Customers Want LNG
Swedish shipping and industrial customers are interested in liquefied natural gas (LNG) that could be imported at the Port of Gothenburg as a possible answer to stricter environmental regulations and a desire to move away from oil fuels, infrastructure company Swedegas AB (Swedegas) found in a market screening.
The company received responses from about 20 major shipping, industrial, and gas trading companies.
"The response was highly encouraging," said Swedegas President Lars Gustafsson.
"The replies clearly show that LNG is a fuel of the future and that companies are prepared to invest in line with the introduction of LNG onto the Swedish market."
Swedegas, Royal Vopak N.V. (Vopak), and the port are planning an LNG terminal that would offer open access to any company that wants to bring LNG to the country.
Plans for the terminal have also received support from a new report by engineering consulting company Ramböll, which says the port would be a natural hub for LNG, allowing transport elsewhere in the country by bunkering ships, rail, road, and gas grid.
"There is potential in Swedish industry to replace over 10 terawatt hours (TWh) of oil with natural gas," Gustafsson said.
"With an LNG terminal in Gothenburg, we could satisfy around half of the entire needs of industry."
The Gothenburg terminal is scheduled to be operational by 2015 so that ships can get LNG fuel there when new sulfur limits go into effect in the European Emissions Control Area (ECA).
