Gate terminal breaks records in 2019

9 January 2020

Gate terminal breaks records in 2019

Rotterdam / Maasvlakte, 6 January 2020 – During the year 2019 Gate terminal performed a record level of 171 ship operations, compared to the previous record of 104 ships in 2018. Gate unloaded 14.4 million m3 of LNG from 111 vessels (of which 8 transshipments). Interestingly 16 small vessels unloaded their cargo at the terminal. Gate also loaded 1.5 million m3 on 8 large vessels (all transshipments) and 52 small vessels. Two of the larger vessels unloaded their loaded cargo at Gate again.

Vessels arrived from a wide range of countries: Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Qatar, Russia, The Netherlands, Tobago, Trinidad and United States. Vessels went amongst others to Greece, Italy, Jordan, Singapore, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom, while the smaller vessels went to Finland, Gibraltar, Norway, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Customers nominated a record 7.3 BCM for regasification into the GTS gas grid, almost three times as much as in 2018. During the year various records were broken on monthly, daily and hourly basis. During the first three days of 2020 again new records were attained on an hourly (17,084 MWh/h) and daily basis (410 GWh).

Gate terminal also loaded a record 3,466 trucks mainly for distribution all over Europe but also towards China. This represents an increase of roughly 25% compared to 2018.

The greenhouse gas effect of an unfortunate incidental release of several tons of methane was offset by contributing to a buying program of around 1,000 trees.

Company profiles

Gate terminal

N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and Koninklijke Vopak N.V. are the initiators and partners in Gate terminal B.V. The terminal is operational since September 2011. The imported LNG is unloaded at the terminal, stored and evaporated to natural gas before it is delivered to the transmission network for the European markets. The terminal has an initial throughput capacity of 12 billion cubic meters per year (bcma), which in the future can be extended to 16 bcma. Gate terminal has also introduced back loading services for a wide range of LNG vessels. In January 2014, Gate has started loading LNG tank trucks and containers, with a total capacity of 5,000 trucks, to further support break bulk market developments.

Gasunie

Gasunie manages and maintains the infrastructure for large-scale transport and storage of gas in the Netherlands and the northern part of Germany. Safety, reliability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness are central in everything we do. Gasunie was founded in 1963, four years after the discovery of natural gas in the northern Dutch province of Groningen. Gasunie is a public limited company under Dutch law and fully owned by the State of the Netherlands. The company has two subsidiaries that manage the gas transport network: Gasunie Deutschland in Germany, and Gasunie Transport Services (GTS) in the Netherlands.

Royal Vopak

Royal Vopak is the world’s leading independent tank storage company, storing vital products with care. With over 400 years of history and a focus on sustainability, Vopak ensures safe, clean and efficient storage and handling of bulk liquid products and gases for its customers. By doing so, Vopak enables the delivery of products that are vital to our economy and daily lives, ranging from chemicals, oils, gases and LNG to biofuels and vegoils. Vopak is determined to develop key infrastructure solutions for the world’s changing energy systems, while simultaneously investing in digitalization and innovation. Vopak is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.