France’s TotalEnergies, one of the world’s largest LNG players, has launched a binding open season for capacities at the planned FSRU-based facility in Le Havre.
TotalEnergies LNG Services France (TELSF), a unit of TotalEnergies, is working to install France’s first FSRU-based facility in Le Havre, adding to the four existing onshore LNG terminals.
The firm ran a non-binding call of interest from January 16 to 30 for up to 2.5 Bcm per year of capacity for a period of five years and said that demand expressed during the market test had “significantly exceeded” available capacity.
Now TELSF is organizing the binding open season to market capacity of 23 TWh per year for five years at the Le Havre LNG terminal, according to a statement by TotalEnergies.
“The start of operations expected in September 2023 brings new LNG import capacities and contributes to the security of gas supply in France and Europe,” the firm said.
The registration process of the open season will start on March 28, while the submission deadline for binding requests for capacities is April 26, TotalEnergies said.
Cape Ann
France currently hosts Elengy’s three LNG terminals and the Dunkirk LNG facility. Elengy’s terminals have been closed since March 6 due to a strike against the government’s pension reform, while the Dunkirk facility operates with a reduced sendout.
The FSRU project in Le Havre will allow France to increase its regasification capacity by around 5 Bcm per year. TotalEnergies previously said it plans to reserve about 50 percent of this capacity.
TotalEnergies also said that the 2009-built 145,130-cbm, Cape Ann, will serve the Le Havre facility.
The French firm charters Cape Ann from Hoegh LNG, such as Neptune that serves the new Deutsche ReGas FSRU-based terminal in Lubmin.
Hoegh LNG Partners, now 100 percent owned by Hoegh LNG, has a 50 percent stake in Cape Ann.
Japan’s MOL owns a 48.5 percent stake, while Tokyo LNG Tanker has a 1.5 percent stake.
Besides the FSRU, Paris-based LNG engineering giant Technip Energies won a contract last year from TotalEnergies to provide a marine loading arm for the Le Havre facility.
The firm will install the offloading solution on Bougainville dock in Le Havre.
TotalEnergies will operate the FSRU and GRTgaz will operate the connecting pipeline to the gas transmission network.
