Gastrade’s FSRU-Based LNG Import Terminal in Greece

Gastrade’s FSRU-based LNG import terminal off Greece’s Alexandroupolis is expected to receive its first cargo of liquefied natural gas this week, according to shipping data.

The 174,000-cbm LNG carrier GasLog Hong Kong, built in 2018, is scheduled to arrive at the 153,600-cbm Alexandroupolis on February 15, as indicated by its AIS data provided by VesselsValue.

According to the data, the LNG carrier, chartered by France’s TotalEnergies, previously picked up a cargo at Sempra’s Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana.

TotalEnergies is a shareholder in Cameron LNG, which has a LNG capacity of about 12 mtpa.

LNG Prime reached out to Gastrade to inquire whether the vessel is carrying the commissioning LNG cargo for the Alexandroupolis FSRU, but no response was received by the time of publishing this article.

Gastrade announced last month that the arrival of the commissioning cargo at its FSRU-based LNG import terminal off Alexandroupolis was postponed due to bad weather. The firm previously expected to receive the commissioning cargo on January 20.

Greece’s first FSRU

Gatsrade’s shareholders include founder Copelouzou, DESFA, DEPA, Bulgartransgaz, and GasLog.

In February 2022, GasLog, a shareholder and Greek LNG shipping company, instructed Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine (now Seatrium) to proceed with the conversion of the 2010-built GasLog Chelsea into an FSRU.

Seatrium’s yard in Singapore completed the conversion work on the 153,600-cbm Alexandroupolis in November last year.

Greece’s first FSRU arrived in Alexandroupolis from Singapore on December 17, and the mooring hook-up was completed on December 23, 2023.

The FSRU is located in the sea of Thrace, 17.6 km southwest of the port of Alexandroupolis and 10 km from the nearest coast of Makri. It is also connected to a high-pressure subsea and onshore gas transmission pipeline.

Once operational, the pipeline will deliver natural gas to the Greek transmission system and onward to the final consumers in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine to the east, and Hungary, Slovakia to the west, according to Gastrade.

The Alexandroupolis LNG terminal will have a capacity of 5.5 Bcm.

With this project, Greece will have its first FSRU and the second LNG import facility, in addition to DESFA’s import terminal located on the island of Revithoussa.

In addition to this unit, Gastrade is also planning to install a second FSRU offshore Alexandroupoli.