The Port of Gothenburg, which is perceived as the largest port in the Nordic countries, has tucked a new green transition milestone under its belt with the installation of a 500-cubic-meter storage tank for liquefied biogas (LBG).
Built and owned by Nordion Energi and scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2027, Sweden's first grid-connected biogas liquefaction plant is set to unlock large-scale renewable bunkering for the shipping industry and supercharge the local green fuel value chain.
The construction milestone for the biogas liquefaction plant at the Port of Gothenburg comes as the facility’s storage tank for LBG got installed. This renewable fuel with low climate impact is said to have the ability to replace fossil alternatives in several sectors. As a result, the interest in the fuel is growing rapidly, particularly in shipping.
"Shipping’s transition requires a collaborative value chain. This facility strengthens the port’s position in renewable bunker fuels and makes it possible to offer LBG to the shipping sector on a larger scale. As we see more and more vessels on order for LBG operation, we also see strong potential for increased bunkering at the Port of Gothenburg."
According to the Port of Gothenburg, groundworks, including foundations and base slabs, have been completed, and the LBG tank is the first of the plant’s key components to be installed.
The tank, which arrived at the European port by vessel, has a volume of 500 cubic meters and weighs close to 140 tonnes. It will be able to store up to 200 tonnes of LBG once the facility is operational.
"This is an important milestone. The facility is now really starting to take shape, and we are moving closer to our goal of being able to deliver LBG from the gas grid to shipping, heavy transport and industry."
The liquefaction plant, which will be the first in Sweden to be directly connected to the west Swedish gas grid, will create a new market for Swedish biogas producers that are, or want to become, connected to the gas grid.
This facility, which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027, will be capable of delivering 250 gigawatt-hours of LBG annually, equivalent to the consumption of 500 trucks or the bunkering of 50 vessels.
"Both producers and users are already present in the port today. ST1 Biokraft has previously signed an agreement securing part of the liquefaction plant’s capacity, and several shipping companies calling at the port on a regular basis already use LBG to power their vessels."