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In two years, LNG, liquefied natural gas, will be available at the Port of Gothenburg. The terminal will be a vital piece in the puzzle for shipping lines and companies looking to invest in an environmentally adapted fuel.

The LNG terminal that is taking shape at the Port of Gothenburg will be run by Swedegas, which owns the Swedish gas grid, and the Dutch tank storage company Vopak LNG. The terminal will be built beside the Vopak facility at the Skarvik Harbour and will be completed in 2015 when stricter rules governing the sulphur content in marine fuel will come into effect.

Jill Söderwall, Commercial Director for the Gothenburg Energy Port, explains: "In time, I believe that part of the shipping industry will move towards more environmentally adapted fuels and LNG offers substantial environmental benefits."

The Port of Gothenburg is involved in the project and has also signed a co-operation agreement with the Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe, with the aim of speeding up the development of liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel.
                         
"The LNG terminal will support Gothenburg's vision of being a sustainable city," says Jill Söderwall. "For the Port of Gothenburg, it means that we will develop our energy business and we will be in a position to offer our customers fuels that will make them competitive."

The terminal is expected to cost around SEK 1 billion and a rail link will also be created.

Jill Söderwall continues: "The focus now is on obtaining the necessary environmental permits. The next step then will be to generate interest in LNG on the market."

The terminal will be based on the 'open access' principle, which means that any company that is interested in importing gas onto the Swedish market can reserve capacity.

Source: Port of Gothenburg