Delimara gas terminal could be floated offshore

A project development statement submitted by Enemalta Corporation to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for the construction of a 200MW gas power station and a terminal for natural gas facilities, suggests that the LNG terminal will be floated offshore onto a barge.

The PDS, a preliminary document that sets the ball rolling for a forthcoming environment impact assessment of Labour's plan for a power plant that runs on liquefied natural gas, paves the way for an option to site the terminal that will collect the gas onto a floating barge connected to Delimara via pipeline.

Up to 180,000 cubic metres of storage tanks may be required to store the LNG prior to regasification. According to the PDS, this would be the largest single item within the LNG regasification facility that must be sited on the current Delimara power station area.

PROFILE 11 bidders for Delimara power plant [READ]

But the LNG plant may also be situated on a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) that will be moored adjacent to, or close to the Delimara power station.

The other alternative is to locate the LNG plant onshore, or alternatively, a hybrid solution to have a floating storage unit (FSU) offshore, and a regasification unit onshore.

The precise dimensions of either the FSRU or FSU solutions, depend on their design. But typical dimensions for a vessel with storage capacities of 180,000 cubic metres could mean a length of up to 300 metres and a beam of up to 52 metres. The ship could be moored indefinitely at a location close to the power station, with the equipment required for the regasification of LNG situated on board. The gas would then be stored in tanks in the ship's hull.

The FSU or FSRU would be equipped with its own generator to produce power for its own use, but the vessel would still accept power from the Enemalta grid.

During its electoral campaign, Labour never referred to the possibility of having the LNG terminal or its gas storage component located offshore. Indeed, former finance minister Tonio Fenech questioned the suitability of the land around the Delimara plant for the development of an LNG terminal.

Floating LNG terminals are being hailed by many in the industry as a low-cost revolution in meeting growing gas demands.

One of the bidders for the plant, the Indian-owned GMR, has developed storage and regasification units (FSRU) for an LNG terminal at the deep-water port at Kakinada on the east coast in East Godavari district. Another bidder Deawoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering is also specialized in this sector.

11 companies ranging from the China government-owned CPECC to multinational giant Shell are competing for the award of the energy contract.