Russian President Vladimir Putin has put into operation Kaliningrad’s LNG regasification terminal on January 8, which is Russia’s first floating storage regasification unit (FSRU).
The terminal, built in the Baltic Sea, has the capacity of 2.7 billion cbm per year and consists of a pier protected by a breakwater and the Marshal Vasilevsky LNG tanker. The project was carried out by Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The breakwater and the terminal are located 5 kilometres from the shore, where the sea depth is 19 metres, allowing for Marshal Vasilevsky to anchor there.
The vessel converts LNG delivered by sea back to natural gas, which is then distributed to consumers or pumped into the Kaliningrad underground gas storage facility.
As explained by Director General of Gazprom UGS Igor Safonov, the breakwater is a unique structure designed to protect the FSRU from heavy storms, which are quite common in the region.
“Two loading arms are connected to the Marshal Vasilevsky. From the terminal, gas is pumped through a 13-km pipeline to Kaliningrad Region’s gas transportation system and on to the end users and the underground gas storage facility,” Safonov explained.
Marshal Vasilevsky FSRU is 300 meters long and 46.5 meters wide. It has the capacity to carry 174,000 cubic meters of LNG and can move at a speed of 19.5 knots. It is the first vessel of its kind to have the Arc4 ice class and is flying the Russian flag.
“It is hard to overestimate the importance of this terminal for the region’s energy security and consolidation of the local energy base, given the geographical location of Kaliningrad Region first and foremost,” Putin said.
“The terminal’s capacity, 2.7 billion cubic metres of gas per year, almost fully covers the needs of the region, guarantees a reliable alternative for its gas supply, and reduces dependence on transit gas supplies.”