First LNG Ship Arrives at Soma LNG Terminal
The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship has arrived at the new Soma LNG Terminal located in Shinchi Town in Fukushima prefecture, Japan Petroleum Exploration (JAPEX) informed.
Puteri Intan Satu came from Malaysia and entered Soma Port on December 6.
About 60,000 tons of LNG will be unloaded from the ship, representing the first cargo the terminal will receive.
The Soma LNG Terminal, located at the No.4 wharf of Soma Port, started commissioning on December 1 and commercial operations are scheduled to start in March 2018, according to the company. The terminal comprises a ground-type LNG storage tank with a capacity of 230,000 kiloliters, two berths for a large ocean-going ship, a domestic vessel for receiving and shipping, LNG vaporization equipment, and LNG shipping facility.
The LNG terminal will receive cargo and supply LNG vaporized gas to the Niigata-Sendai Gas Pipeline via the Soma-Iwanuma Gas Pipeline which commenced operation on November 1, 2017. Furthermore, this terminal will supply LNG as a liquid based on LNG satellite system using tank trucks and a domestic vessel.
During the commissioning period, test operations for commercial operation commencement are being conducted, in addition to legal procedures and preparation works.
JAPEX has been entrusted by Fukushima Gas Power (FGP) with the management and operation of the second phase in which an additional LNG storage tank with a capacity of 230,000 kiloliters is to be constructed. The construction of the tank started in April 2017, and additional LNG vaporization equipment will commence construction in spring 2018. The facilities are expected to commence commercial operation in spring 2020. At the same time, Fukushima Natural Gas Power Plant will become operational.
