New LNG Infrastructure for Zeebrugge

Belgium currently has only a single jetty to discharge LNG, at the LNG terminal in the Port of Zeebrugge. The infrastructure will be fully compatible with that already in place and is expected to strengthen Belgium’s position as a supply and transit nation for natural gas in Europe.

For the construction and development of the new infrastructure, EXMAR is working closely with Belgian dredging contractor Jan De Nul, Praxair, Jacobs Engineering, ERM and ECOLAS.

The infrastructure to be built will allow simultaneous berthing of two conventional LNG carriers or LNGRV re-gasification vessels. The latter vessels are able to re-gasify the LNG on board and inject it directly into the gas transport grid. As an alternative, they can pump the LNG from the ship to storage tanks onshore or allow the transfer of LNG from a conventional carrier to an LNGRV.

This precludes the storage of large quantities of LNG and, as a result, avoids the need to construct large LNG tank farms onshore. The technology also offers an environmentally friendly, cost effective and safe solution when bringing additional LNG volumes to the Belgian and European markets.

Similar infrastructures are already operational at other locations, including the Teesside GasPort in the UK and the Gulf Gateway offshore in Louisiana USA. A second American offshore facility (Northeast Gateway) near Boston is under construction.

Together with American counterpart Excelerate Energy, EXMAR developed the LNGRV and now operates a fleet of three such vessels, with five more currently under build.