Lithuanian LNG operator says capacity all booked up until Sept
Lithuania's sole LNG terminal Klaipeda LNG has sold all of its regasification capacity up to September 2022, the end of its current operational year, its operator said March 17.
Customers have booked 23.9 TW/hour in Klaipeda LNG regasified shipments, including 8.9TW/hour booked last year in Klaipėda LNG's annual capacity tender. Market participants can still trade regasified gas, either during terminal processing or afterwards on secondary markets.
From March to September 2022 Klaipeda LNG anticipates 20 large-scale LNG cargoes will arrive in Lithuania. It has booked cargo reception bays for large tankers carrying no less than 138,000 m3 of LNG.
Klaipeda LNG's technical regasification capacity could be expanded to 5bn m3 from 3.75bn m3 at present, under plans to rapidly accelerate capacity in the current gas year.
Commercial director Mindaugas Navikas said the Ukraine war had demonstrated the Baltic region's need for reliable gas supplies. A new 2.4bn m3/yr piped gas route from Lithuania to Poland will launch on May 1, allowing Klaipėda's regasified LNG to reach Polish customers. Since last year, the terminal has supplied Finland via Estonia through the bidirectional Balticonnector route.
"The earlier start of operations of the Polish-Lithuanian gas pipeline connection [on May 1] has been announced, which provides opportunities for businesses to take advantage of new and emerging opportunities," said Navikas.