Gibraltar: no LNG bunkering in current plans

The government of Gibraltar confirmed on Monday that the proposed LNG facility will only supply liquefied natural gas for the North Mole power station. 

The government responded to an Environmental Safety Group inquiry after minister Joe Bossano made public comments regarding a possibility of LNG bunkering at the port of Gibraltar.

“Consideration of the small capacity of the tanks will confirm that the LNG stored there would not be sufficient to sustain a bunkering industry of any magnitude whatsoever, and is not intended to do so,” the government confirmed in a statement.

However, future development of the LNG bunkering industry is a “government’s goal but any move to LNG bunkering by Shell or any other operator would require, and government is fully committed to, a full and quite separate assessment of any potential project from both a ‘HAZID’ (hazard identification) and an environmental impact point of view.”

This would entail full public consultation and discussion with stakeholders, including environmental groups, before any such project would be allowed to proceed.

“Our interest in LNG bunkering is nothing new and has been publicly discussed on a number of occasions,” confirmed the Minister for Energy, John Cortes.

He added that it is, however, quite some way away and not part of the power station project.

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LNG World News Staff; Image: gibraltar.gov.gi