Wärtsilä cleared to build its first LNG terminal

Wärtsilä has been given full notice to proceed from Manga LNG for the supply of an LNG import terminal in Tornio, Northern Finland.

Wärtsilä will commence construction on the site near the port of Tornio in January 2015.

Wärtsilä initially announced this project in January 2014. The order, valued at approximately EUR 100 million (USD 122.8m), will be included in Wärtsilä’s order intake in December 2014.

The turnkey delivery of the first import terminal supplied by Wärtsilä includes complete unloading, storing and regasification equipment for LNG. The capacity of the LNG storage tank will be 50,000 cubic metres. A 10-year maintenance agreement was also signed between the parties.

One of the main users of the imported natural gas will be the Outokumpu Tornio steel mill. A gas pipeline will be built to the nearby Röyttä industrial site, where the mill is located. Additional potential gas users are mines, factories and other industrial customers in Northern Finland and Sweden. Railroad and truck transportation from the terminal will be available. The terminal can also be used for LNG bunkering as well as to supply fuel for LNG-powered ships.

“The world is switching to natural gas, and we make it available in new places. With our unique turnkey offering, we are ready take a leading role in end-to-end LNG systems,” said Tore Björkman, Vice President, LNG and Nuclear, Wärtsilä Power Plants.

LNG is replacing oil and other fuels worldwide. The environmental benefits are significant. In power generation, natural gas produces about 30 percent fewer carbon emissions than oil, while sulphur dioxide emissions are reduced by some 99 percent. LNG-fuelled ships have no sulphur emissions and 92 percent fewer nitrogen oxide emissions than vessels powered by heavy fuel oil.

Manga LNG is a joint venture of Outokumpu Group, Svenskt Stål AB (SSAB), Skangass and EPV Energy.

Press Release; Image: Wartsila