Altamira LNG Terminal

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Altamira LNG Terminal is an LNG import terminal in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Location

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Project Details

• Operator: Terminal de LNG de Altamira
• Owner: Vopak (60%), Enagas (40%)
• Location: Altamira Port, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
• Coordinates: 22.494775, -97.894680 (exact)
• Capacity: 5.7 mtpa
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 2006

Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcfd = billion cubic feet per day

Background

Altamira LNG Terminal is an LNG import terminal in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

The Altamira LNG Terminal, located on the Gulf coast of Mexico, was the first LNG terminal in Mexico and commenced operations in August 2006. The terminal was built to supply gas needs for power plants powering the industrial sector in Mexico's Northeast, including the Altamira V power station. The Terminal was initially a joint venture project of Royal Dutch Shell (50%), Total (25%), and Mitsui & Co (25%).

When the terminal was built, its LNG imports came from Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Egypt.

In 2011, Shell, Total, and Mitsui all sold their shares in the LNG terminal to the Dutch company Vopak (60%) and Spain's Enagas (40%). The Altamira LNG project consists of two 5.5 million cubic foot LNG storage tanks, regasification facilities with 500 million cubic feet per day of peak sendout capability, and pipelines to connect to the existing pipeline system in Tamaulipas.

In April 2017, natural gas imports from the United States fell to their lowest level since June 2015 due to maintenance on the NET pipeline. Due to the temporary fall of imports via pipeline, Mexico's state-owned petroleum company, Pemex, began importing LNG at the Altamira terminal from Louisiana to make up for the shortfall while the pipeline was down.

In 2023, New Fortress Energy announced that it had entered into a non-binding MOU with Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission to develop and operate up to four 1.4 mtpa gas liquefaction units as part of the New Fortress Altamira LNG export project, to be located on the same site as the existing Altamira LNG import terminal.