GNL Quientero, operator of the first LNG terminal to serve the Chilean market, will expand its regasification capacity by 50%, adding a third train to reach about 4.43 million tonnes/year (tpy). Start-up for the new capacity at the terminal in Quintero Bay, Valparaíso region, will be first-quarter 2014, GNL Quientero said.
The company’s board approved the expansion with advance purchase of critical equipment and has started the process for the engineering, procurement, and construction contract to be awarded during second-quarter 2013. Implementation of the project will take place over 17-21 months, the company said.
It also said that installation of the new train had been considered in the terminal’s original design. Therefore, environmental approvals and the necessary connections to integrate with existing terminal installations, without requiring more land.
When it launched in 2009, Quintero LNG was the first receiving terminal in the southern hemisphere.
“This initiative will provide, in the short term, the necessary infrastructure to enable the arrival of a significant amount of additional natural gas to central Chile,” said Chief Executive Officer Antonio Bacigalupo.
