EU set to inject EUR 35.2m in Gothenburg LNG terminal project
Private infrastructure companies, the ports of Gothenburg and Rotterdam entered into an agreement for the LNG terminals project. The project will receive SEK 305 million (EUR 35.2 million) from the EU, the Port of Gothenburg's press release said.
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.
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%.
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.
