Fos Cavaou LNG truck loading facility springs into operation

French LNG terminal operator Elengy, and its unit Fosmax, owner of the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal have kicked off liquefied natural gas tanker trucks loading services at the facility. 

Fosmax said the station that includes two loading bays has started commercial operations and is scheduled to ramp-up gradually to reach a total of 40 charging slots per day in December 2019. This is an 11,000 slots a year rate.

The construction of the Fos Cavaou station was supported at 30 percent by European funding.

With the two bays of the Fos Tonkin terminal station, also operated by Elengy, the Fos LNG hub doubles its capacity to load tanker trucks to better respond to the growing demand for retail LNG, the company said.

In response to the strong demand for cleaner energy, the transport of LNG by tankers trucks or “road-transported LNG” makes it possible to supply industrial sites not connected to the natural gas transmission network as well as landfill LNG distribution sites and maritime.

Fosmax added that the Fos Cavaou facility has the potential to be expanded by additional loading bays, depending on market demand.

Additionally, the terminal is capable of receiving micro-tankers at its jetty since September 2019. The bunker-vessels received at Fos Cavaou will offer LNG bunkering in the Port of Marseille-Fos and will also be able to deliver LNG to French and foreign Mediterranean ports.