LNG terminal in Eemshaven handles its 100th gas vessel, 37 for the Czech Republic

The terminal in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, which has been operating since September 2022, has handled its 100th vessel carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG). Thirty-seven of them delivered gas to the Czech Republic. Since the terminal opened, Czechia has secured 3.4 billion cubic metres of gas there, more than half of its annual domestic consumption. Energy group ČEZ, which has leased the terminal until 2027, informed CTK of this today. According to the company, Russian gas was excluded from deliveries to the terminal, with most of the cargoes arriving by ship from the United States. Last year, ČEZ also secured LNG capacity in Germany, with gas from it set to become available in three years.

Eemshaven was the first LNG terminal to open in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine, with the first vessel arriving in September 2022. The facility can process eight billion cubic metres of gas a year, of which up to three billion can be sent to the Czech Republic. Other well-known energy companies have also booked capacity at the terminal: British-Dutch Shell and France’s Engie.

The terminal consists of two vessels, Eemshaven LNG and Energos Igloo, which provide storage and regasification. Liquefied natural gas is delivered to the facility on specially adapted tankers. After being heated and converted back into gas at the terminal, it is fed into the gas transmission network.

According to ČEZ, the Dutch terminal is operating as planned and has also become one of the pillars of Czech energy security. „Securing capacity at the terminal has also given us valuable experience in the LNG market, which we were able to put to use, for example, in the successful negotiations to enter the German Stade project,” said ČEZ Vice-Chairman of the Board Pavel Cyrani.

He was referring to last year’s acquisition, when Czechia, together with ČEZ, also secured capacity at an onshore LNG terminal under construction in Germany. From 2027, two billion cubic metres of gas a year will be available to the company at the Stade terminal near Hamburg, more than a quarter of current domestic consumption. The company signed a 15-year contract with the operator, with an option to extend it. ČEZ has also said it will explore other opportunities to secure capacity at LNG terminals. Last year, for example, the company discussed securing capacity at an LNG terminal in Poland, but ultimately put the option on hold because of the terms on offer.