Dutch storage tank firm Vopak has completed its previously announced deal with compatriot gas grid operator Gasunie to buy 50 percent of the latter’s LNG hub in the Dutch port of Eemshaven.
The two firms said in a joint statement on Friday that they have completed the principle agreement announced in April.
“This agreement highlights the commitment of Gasunie and Vopak to jointly develop and operate open access LNG infrastructure and contribute to the energy security of Europe,” the statement said.
Previously the two firms, which are already partners in the Dutch Gate terminal, said that the deal remained subject to a number of conditions, including the approval from the competition authorities and they expected to complete the transaction by October 1.
The Eemshaven terminal features two chartered FSRUs, including the 26,000-cbm barge-based FSRU Eemshaven LNG and the 170,000-cbm Energos Igloo.
Moreover, it has a capacity of 8 billion cubic meters per year and supplies natural gas to capacity holders Shell, Czech utility CEZ, and France’s Engie.
Gasunie previously said that the ambition of its unit EemsEnergyTerminal is to be able to handle 9 bcm of natural gas before the end of this year, and then to grow to 10 bcm.
The firm aims to achieve this by ‘technical optimization’ of the existing installations, including debottlenecking.
In August, the FSRU-based LNG import facility in the port of Eemshaven received its 50th shipment since September last year.
Besides LNG, Gasunie and Vopak are planning the further development of the Eemshaven site to facilitate the import of green hydrogen.
