BW Lilac to deliver its first LNG cargo to Klaipėda LNG terminal
It is planned that the gas carrier BW Lilac will arrive at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal operated by KN (AB Klaipėdos Nafta) on December 2nd and deliver LNG from the US port of Louisiana. This is the first visit of the gas carrier BW Lilac to Klaipeda port, KN says in a press release.
Standard 174 thousand cub. m, 294 m long and 46 m wide gas carrier BW Lilac was built in 2018 and is operating under the flag of Malta. She brings about 155 thousand cub. m of LNG to Klaipeda loaded at the Cameron LNG liquefaction plant in the Port of Louisiana, US. This liquefaction plant resumed its operations, which were temporarily suspended due to a hurricane.
This will be the 7th LNG cargo from the US in 2020 at Klaipeda LNG terminal and the 4th new year of natural gas (2021), which began on October 1 of this year. Totally 9 LNG cargoes from the US have been delivered since the LNG terminal in Klaipėda started its operations in 2014.
Mindaugas Navikas, KN Chief Sales Officer, notes that the US has been exporting natural gas since 2016 and in 2019-2020 significantly increased exports to Europe. This was mainly due to an increase in liquefaction capacity and new emerging projects in the US that boosted demand and supply to Europe.
“Although this year is rather exceptional than reflecting a long-term trend for the global LNG market, Klaipėda LNG terminal users can take best advantage of the current market situation and acquire the most favorable cargoes both in terms of price and existing contractual obligations with suppliers. Thanks to the flexibility of terminal services, we can quickly respond to customer needs and thus increase the competitiveness of our existing infrastructure. We also hope that from 2021 onwards the changed pricing of the LNG terminal reloading services and its differentiation according to the size of carrier/cargo will encourage the attraction of new users or extra quantities of cargo,” comments M. Navikas.
