BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 28. Today, the regasification vessel BW Singapore successfully completed its mooring manoeuvre about 8 kilometres offshore Ravenna, fully in line with the planned schedule, Trend reports.
After reaching the port of Palermo last December, and performing the gassing and cooling operations in Cartagena (Spain), the FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit) has now reached the former Petra offshore platform. The platform’s existing infrastructure - formerly used to dock oil tankers - has recently been repurposed in order to accommodate the regasification vessel, in an environmentally-sustainable perspective.
"With the ship docking in Ravenna perfectly on schedule, Italy can rely on a new strategic asset, which, combined with the Italis Lng moored in Piombino, is another fundamental step towards supply diversification and the Country's energy security," commented Stefano Venier, CEO of Snam. "Ravenna is an ideal port of call, not only because it hosts on its territory a high-skilled, leading energy district, but also because of its strategic position attracting gas flows from the eastern Mediterranean area and beyond".
In the past few days, a tender call was published to identify the party that will deliver the first LNG cargo to the BW Singapore for commissioning activities, which consist of the FSRU regasification plant operational tests and set-up. The cargo, scheduled to be delivered in March, will also provide the minimum level of liquefied gas in the terminal's tanks, as required to ensure its full operation.
Built in 2015, the BW Singapore can store 170,000 cubic metres of liquefied gas and regasify it for a total capacity of 5 billion cubic metres per year. Today, liquefied natural gas (LNG) accounts for about 25% of Italy's total gas consumption. With the commissioning of BW Singapore, the domestic total regasification capacity will reach 28 billion cubic meters, equivalent to the volumes imported in Italy by pipeline from Russia in 2021.
In addition to Ravenna, Snam holds significant stakes in all regulated LNG regasification terminals operating in Italy, including the Panigaglia terminal (La Spezia), operational since 1971, the Adriatic LNG terminal (Rovigo), in operation since 2009, the OLT FSRU Toscana terminal (Livorno), active since 2013, and the FSRU Italis LNG terminal (Piombino), operational since July 2023.