Italian energy player Snam intends to kick off commercial operations at a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) moored off the coast of Ravenna next month. The vessel will serve as the country’s fifth liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal.
The FSRU BW Singapore has completed the plant commissioning activities ahead of the start of commercial operations, according to the planned schedule, Snam reported.
Once the final authorizations have been received, the regasification activity will kick off in May with the provision of capacity through competitive auction procedures in line with applicable legislation.
Built in 2015, the BW Singapore can store 170,000 cubic meters of liquefied gas. Snam inked a deal to purchase the vessel in 2022 , with the acquisition finalized in December 2023 .
Moored 8.5 kilometers off the coast of Ravenna, the FSRU boasts an annual regasification capacity of 5 billion cubic meters. The vessel’s mooring at the Petra platform was completed on February 28, 2025.
With its entry into service, Itayl’s overall regasification capacity stands to gain a 28 billion cubic meters per year boost, which is said to correspond to 45% of the national gas demand. The country will also get an additional regasification terminal, for a total of five.
Snam believes LNG will continue to contribute to the diversification of the Italian energy system. According to the Italian player, LNG helped meet a quarter of Italy’s gas demand in 2024, with 150 ships from around ten countries reaching the country’s four regasification terminals.
The Italian firm disclosed that the first four months of 2025 saw the arrival of around 60 gas carriers in Italy, half of which came from the USA (up from around a third last year), Qatar, and multiple African countries. This amounted to nearly 6 billion cubic meters, or around 30% of the gas imported into the country.