Press release -
EU millions for LNG terminal at the Port of Gothenburg
Liquefied natural gas for shipping by 2015 at the latest. This is the aim behind collaboration between private infrastructure companies and the Port of Gothenburg and the Port of Rotterdam. The project will receive SEK 305 million in funding from the EU.
"EU support is a clear indication of how important shipping is for sustainable transport throughout Europe," says Magnus Kårestedt, Port of Gothenburg Chief Executive.
A formal decision will be reached in a few months. There are already strong indications that the investment in LNG terminals in Rotterdam and Gothenburg will be one of the EU Commission's most prioritised "Motorways of the Seas" projects ever.
The Dutch company Vopak and the Swedish gas infrastructure company Swedegas are investing in an LNG terminal in Gothenburg. The terminal will supply LNG to both shipping and industry.
Collaboration with the Port of Rotterdam will involve constructing the necessary infrastructure at the ports and producing regulations for handling LNG. Another key area will be to increase knowledge of LNG as a marine fuel.
"A major benefit of this collaboration is that we can work together and send a very clear signal to the market that LNG will be available at the largest port in Europe and the largest port in the Nordic region. The shipping companies need to be assured of this before investing in new LNG-powered vessels," says Lars Gustafsson, President of Swedegas.
There are considerable environmental benefits to be gained from using LNG in shipping and industry. Sulphur and particle emissions are reduced to almost zero, nitric oxide emissions by 85-90 per cent and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per cent.
For further information, contact Cecilia Carlsson, Corporate Communications Manager, Port of Gothenburg, phone +46 31 368 75 45, or Saila Horttanainen, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Swedegas AB, +46 70-622 76 06.
LNG
LNG is natural gas that is cooled down to liquid form, reducing the volume by 600 times. This allows the gas to be transported by sea, rail or road, reaching parts of the country without access to a gas grid. An LNG terminal in Gothenburg will be of importance not only for the West Coast but also for industry in other parts of the country.
Categories
Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region with 11,000 visits by vessels each year. One-third of Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg as well as 65 per cent of all container traffic.
The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the world's largest container vessels and has the broadest range of shipping routes within and outside Europe. The 26 rail shuttles that depart each day mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region. The Port of Gothenburg has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro, containers and passengers.
