Fos Cavaou LNG terminal operating at full capacity

Sept. 1, 2010
The Fos Cavaou LNG terminal on France's Mediterranean coast has been authorized to operate at its full 8.25 billion cu m/year capacity, up from the 20% allowed since April when a restriction was placed on the facility.

Doris Leblond
OGJ Correspondent

PARIS, Sept. 1 -- The Fos Cavaou LNG terminal on France's Mediterranean coast has been authorized to operate at its full 8.25 billion cu m/year capacity, up from the 20% allowed since April when a restriction was placed on the facility.

Owned by Societe du Terminal Methanier Fos Cavaou (STMFC)—a joint venture of GDF Suez 71.99% and Total SA 28.10%—the terminal is operated and maintained by GDF Suez affiliate Elengy. Elengy also operates two other GDF Suez LNG terminals in France: Montoir-de-Bretagne on the Atlantic and Fos Tonkin, near Fos Cavaou.

Located at the entrance of Fos Ouest Harbor, Fos Cavaou can receive LNG carriers with as much as 220,000 cu m of LNG capacity. It has three storage tanks totaling 330,000 cu m.

Meanwhile, the Fos port is preparing for two further LNG terminal projects—Vopak-Shell’s 8 billion cu m/year terminal, slated for completion in 2016, and the expansion of Fos Tonkin.