Gazprom Export opens small-scale LNG plant in Pskov

Gazprom Export, the exporting arm of Russian gas giant Gazprom, said it has on Thursday opened a small-scale LNG producing plant in Pskov, a city located in the north-western part of European Russia, near the Estonian border.

According to a statement by Gazprom Export, the plant’s capacity is 3 tons of LNG per hour or up to 23,000 thousand tons of LNG annually.

The facility is also equipped with a CNG filling station. The owner and operator of the plant is Cryogas Pskov, a member of Gazprombank Group.

Gazprom Export said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Eesti Gaas to cooperate in supplying Estonia with LNG produced at the plant. In particular, LNG from the facility is planned to be used as bunkering fuel for marine vessels.

In addition, Gazprom Export plans to supply products from the plant to traditional European markets, to serve “autonomous gasification and road transport fueling”, the company said in the statement.

“Commissioning of a new state-of-the-art plant will allow using an environmentally-friendly energy source more actively — both domestically and Europe-wide,” said Elena Burmistrova, CEO of Gazprom Export. ”

“It is important that plant’s products will be used in such a promising sector of the European market as ship bunkering,” she added.

Gazprom Export says it will continue to work on the expansion of the company’s presence in small-scale LNG markets in Europe. The company currently delivers the chilled fuel to Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia and Germany.