The 174,000-cbm LNG carrier GasLog Hong Kong delivered the commissioning cargo from the US to the 153,600-cbm FSRU, Alexandroupolis, on February 18.
The LNG carrier, chartered by France’s TotalEnergies, brought the shipment from Sempra’s Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana.
After that, Gastrade planned to launch commercial operations at the end of April and receive the next LNG cargo in mid-May.
However, the company postponed the launch because of a problem that was identified during commissioning in the project’s pipeline system.
Last month, the FSRU-based LNG import terminal off Alexandroupolis completed final tests.
A spokeswoman for Gastrade told LNG Prime on Wednesday that the first commercial LNG shipment is set for October 3/4.
TotalEnergies will provide the cargo to Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz which previously booked capacity at Gastrade’s FSRU-based LNG import facility.
The spokeswoman did not provide further information regarding the shipment.
“The COD (commercial operation date) is still confirmed for October 1, 2024,” she said.
Bulgargaz recently awarded a tender to TotalEnergies Gas and Power, a unit of TotalEnergies, to supply one LNG cargo via the Alexandroupolis FSRU.
The company sought one LNG cargo of about 150,000 cbm on a DES (delivery ex-ship) basis. The delivery window is October 4.
In addition to this cargo, Bulgargaz is seeking two LNG cargoes, each of about 150,000 cbm, for delivery during November 23-31 and the other during December 23-30, 2024.
First Greek FSRU
Gastrade’s shareholders include founder Copelouzou, DESFA, DEPA, Bulgartransgaz, and GasLog.
This is Greece’s first FSRU and the second LNG import facility, adding to DESFA’s import terminal located on the island of Revithoussa.
The Alexandroupolis LNG terminal will have a capacity of 5.5 bcm.
The FSRU is located in the sea of Thrace at a distance of 17.6 km SW from the port of Alexandroupolis and 10 km from the nearest coast of Makri.
It is connected to a high-pressure subsea and onshore gas transmission pipeline.
It is worth mentioning here that US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG just booked long-term capacity at Gastrade’s LNG import terminal.
Under the binding terminal use agreement, Venture Global has secured about 1 mtpa of LNG regasification capacity at the terminal for five years, beginning in 2025.
Venture Global’s capacity will account for about 25 percent of the total terminal capacity or about 12 LNG cargoes annually, it said.
The firm said the deal enables the regasification and sale of LNG from Venture Global’s terminals in Louisiana to markets in Central and Eastern Europe.
Interconnection deal
In a related development, the operator of the gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria has signed an interconnection agreement with Greek grid operator DESFA for gas flows at the Komotini interconnection point.
ICGB said in a statement it had already tested the IP at Komotini with natural gas prior to the commissioning of the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis.
The IGB pipeline is connected with the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and also with the natural gas transmission system of Bulgartransgaz.
The new interconnection agreement will allow interested parties with booked capacities from the FSRU to transport gas via the IGB pipeline, establishing a new route for natural gas deliveries to Southeast and Central Europe, it said.
IGB’s current capacity is 3 bcm/y with the potential to reach 5 bcm/y.
