Excelerate begins commercial operations of UK's Teesside GasPort

Feb. 20, 2007
Commercial operations have started at Excelerate Energy's GasPort in Teesside in northern England, opening the possibility of supplying as much as 600 MMcfd of peak gas directly into the UK national grid system.

Uchenna Izundu
International Editor

LONDON, Feb. 20 -- Commercial operations have started at Excelerate Energy's GasPort in Teesside in northern England, opening the possibility of supplying as much as 600 MMcfd of peak gas directly into the UK national grid system.

GasPort is the world's first dockside regasification application—a land-based manifold that connects to a high-pressure gas arm on Excelerate's specially adapted Energy Bridge Regasification Vessel (EBRV), which can regasify LNG onboard.

"The technology platform on which the Teesside GasPort is based has long-term implications for the LNG industry," said Rob Bryngelson, Excelerate Energy executive vice-president and chief operating officer. "GasPort operations are further enhanced by the ability of Energy Bridge vessels to conduct commercial ship-to-ship transfers with conventional LNG vessels, an ability that aggregates global LNG supplies and markets, shortening travel time and reducing costs."

RWE Trading will market the gas from GasPort to UK customers. Both hope to develop additional LNG infrastructure in other European markets.

OGJ joined senior UK gas industry officials at the inauguration ceremony Feb. 20 in Teesside where the company stressed it has delivered the project in under a year and offers a substantial cost effective solution to LNG regasification needs. GasPort cost £40 million whereas traditional land based regasification terminals are at least £400 million. It was particularly proud of launching GasPort with its first commercial ship-to-ship transfer of 130,000 cm of LNG (OGJ online, Feb. 16, 2007) and Excelerate hopes to capitalize on meeting short term LNG demand.

It will forge key commercial relationships with industry participants via Excelerate GasNet, a logistical services and trading platform, to deliver LNG supplies to customers in North America, Europe, and premium markets worldwide.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].