Fluxys Belgium: 18 LNG Carriers Unloaded at Zeebrugge in 1H

Fluxys Belgium: 18 LNG Carriers Unloaded at Zeebrugge in 1H

Fluxys Belgium said that  during the first half of 2013, 18 ships were unloaded at the Zeebrugge LNG terminal compared with 23 during the same period in 2012. These 18 vessels carried a combined total of over 1 million tonnes of LNG from Ras Laffan in Qatar. Of the 18, four were Q-Flex-type ships, one of the largest types of LNG carrier in the world.

The trend of rising numbers of ships being loaded with LNG in 2012 is continuing in 2013. Due to high LNG prices in Asia the loading services on offer at the Zeebrugge LNG terminal have been well used: 10 vessels were loaded with over 0.5 million tonnes of LNG during the first half of 2013 (compared with 13 during the same period in 2012).

Success for truck loading. Since June 2010, in addition to ships, trucks can also be loaded at the Zeebrugge LNG terminal. Use of the truck loading services is continuing to rise: during the first half of 2013 a total of 256 trucks were loaded with LNG, compared with 142 during the same period in 2012. These figures confirm the attractiveness of the Zeebrugge facility as one of the most active LNG terminals in northwest Europe.

Explanation of key events during the first half of 2013 and their impact on the financial situation of Fluxys Belgium:

  • Sale of additional transmission and peak capacity to the United Kingdom and Germany
  • Virtually all storage capacity sold despite stiff competition
  • LNG truck loading services going from strength to strength
  • Zeebrugge LNG terminal: good utilisation rate compared with other terminals in Western Europe
  • €55 million investment in infrastructure
  • Historically low interest rates affect authorised return and result
  • Development of new markets for natural gas as a fuel in the transport sector

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LNG World News Staff, August 29, 2013