GDF seeks partners for LNG terminal expansion

To cope with LNG growth in France and Europe, Gaz de France has issued an invitation to new players to participate in development of new regasification capacity at its Montoir-de-Bretagne terminal on the Atlantic coast.

Jan. 3, 2007

Doris Leblond
OGJ Correspondent

PARIS, Jan. 3 -- To cope with LNG growth in France and Europe, Gaz de France has issued an invitation to new players to participate in development of new regasification capacity at its Montoir-de-Bretagne terminal on the Atlantic coast.

Capacity enhancement would occur in two stages:

-- An initial addition of 2.5 billion cu m, scheduled for commissioning in 2011, will bring current delivery capacity to 12.5 billion cu m/year.

-- In the second stage, construction of a fourth large-capacity LNG tank and the additional boosting of regasification and emission facilities would add an additional 4 billion cu m/year, increasing capacity to 16.5 billion cu m/year from 2014 onwards.

The extension will be built on the basis of long-term ship-or-pay contracts.

On stream since 1980, the Montoir-de-Bretagne terminal can handle LNG carriers with a capacity of up to 200,000 cu m. It currently receives LNG from Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt and has a storage capacity of 360,000 cu m.

GDF sees the development of LNG imports worldwide reaching 300 billion cu m of gas (in gaseous state) by 2010, up from 176 billion cu m in 2005.