Italy’s floating regasification terminal operator OLT Offshore LNG Toscana, controlled by Snam and Igneo Infrastructure Partners, has launched the first auctions for a small scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) (SSLNG) service, achieved through a bidirectional LNG transfer at its floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) moored off the coast of Livorno.
These auctions, which will enable companies to participate in an auction for slots dedicated to SSLNG operations, will be held on October 29, 2025, with a product offering of 12 small scale slots of 7,500 liquid cubic meters, distributed monthly from November 2025 to November 2026.
This service is expected to enable LNG to be loaded from the FSRU Toscana terminal onto small LNG carriers that can refuel vessels powered by liquefied natural gas directly at sea or discharge the fuel at coastal storage facilities in major Mediterranean ports.
Giovanni Giorgi , CEO of OLT, commented: “With the publication of small-scale capacity and the launch of the first dedicated auctions, OLT is taking a further step in the growth and diversification of the services it offers.
“This initiative is a first for our country and will boost the development of the LNG supply chain in Italy, which will promote the use of fuels with a lower environmental impact, contributing to the energy transition and decarbonization of maritime and land transport.”
According to OLT, the plant’s features will also allow it to receive LNG from small LNG carriers, which will then be regasified and fed into the grid. The firm claims that these complementary slots will be offered in subsequent auctions, once the available regasification capacity has been confirmed, on an infra-annual basis.
Situated approximately 22 kilometers off the coast between Livorno and Pisa, the FSRU Toscana is connected to the national grid through a 36.5-kilometer-long pipeline, operated and managed by Snam, with around 29.5 kilometers at sea, 5 in the floodway, and the remaining 2 on dry land.
The SSLNG service in Italy’s main logistics and port corridors is perceived to have bolstered the FSRU Toscana terminal’s position as a hub for next-generation energy logistics in the heart of the Mediterranean.