Zeebrugge LNG Transshipments surge in 2020
The Zeebrugge LNG terminal in Belgium saw record activity in 2020, operator Fluxys reported on February 2, thanks to a surge in transshipment operations.
Some 111 transshipment operations took place at the facility during the year, versus only 38 in 2019. Russian LNG exporter Novatek began using a new transshipment tank at Zeebrugge in December 2019 to handle cargoes from its Yamal LNG project.
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The tank was built specially for this purpose under an agreement between Novatek and Fluxys and has no pipeline connection with the Belgian grid. It enables the more expensive winterised vessels to be used for their primary purpose in the Arctic so that cheaper vessels can collect cargoes for final delivery.
Unloading operations at Zeebrugge declined last year, to 50 cargoes from 71 in 2019, while small-scale reloading halved from 20 to 10. As in 2019, only one reloading operation took place at a conventional LNG carrier during 2020. Total vessel operations increased to 172 last year, from 130.
Fluxys added that that some 3,195 trucks were loaded with LNG in 2020, representing a record high. A monthly record of 418 was also set in January 2021.