Gassco of Norway has let an engineering, procurement, and construction contract to Linde Engineering Dresden GMBH for a replacement natural gas terminal in Emden, Germany.

The facility, construction of which is to begin in autumn this year, is due on stream at the end of 2015.

It will replace the Norsea Gas Terminal, which has the capacity to handle 32 million cu m/day of gas delivered by the 443-km Norpipe pipeline from Ekofisk and surrounding fields in the Norwegian North Sea.

The Norsea terminal began operations in 1977. Gassco operates it for the Gassled consortium.

The Linde contract is worth about €260 million.