Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Sub-articles:

FrackSwarm portal Coal terminals Coal transport and infrastructure Oil and gas pipelines LNG terminals Pipeline construction costs Methodology and data notes

Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal, also called the Dubai FLNG Terminal or the DUSUP FSRU, is an operating LNG import terminal in the United Arab Emirates.

Location

Loading map...

{"type":"SATELLITE","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"400px","height":"300px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":14,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":25.03102959,"lon":55.06672885,"icon":""}]}

Project Details

• Operator: Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP)
• Owner: DUSUP
• Parent company: DUSUP
• Vessel: Explorer FSRU
• Vessel operator: Excelerate Energy
• Vessel owner: Excelerate Energy
• Vessel parent company: Excelerate Energy
• Location: Jebel Ali port, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Coordinates: 25.0310296, 55.0667289 (exact)
• Capacity: 6 mtpa
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 2010

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

Background

Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal is an LNG terminal in the United Arab Emirates. It is located in Jebel Ali port, the region’s major shipment center and in a free trade zones.

Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP) completed the construction of an LNG import terminal in Jebel Ali port in 2010. The Jebel Ali port terminal allows the import of LNG via a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) that is permanently docked at the terminal. This FSRU, also known as the Explorer FSRU, was built in 2008 by Excelerate Energy to be one of the most efficient FSRUs in the world.

The vessel was chartered to DUSUP in 2010 to operate at the Jebel Ali Terminal. In 2015, the Explorer was updated and enhanced to expand its capacity in order to meet Dubai's increasing energy demands. After the updates, which included adding a bunker port to the vessel, the Explorer achieved the highest send-out rate of any FSRU in the world.

In 2023, the Explorer's charter was extended for a period of five additional years, beginning on the fourth quarter of 2025.

In 2012, the United Arab Emirates' gas reserves were 212 trillion cubic feet. However, as of 2022, the country's gas reserves were calculated to be around 289 trillion cubic feet, placing the country at number 9 in the list of the top 10 countries with the largest gas reserves in the world. In July 2017, Al Jazeera reported that the United Arab Emirates received about two billion cubic feet of gas daily from Qatar. According to the International Gas Union’s World LNG 2017 report, UAE was the 12th largest LNG exporter by share between 2015 and 2016. In 2017, the country exported about 5.6 million tons a year. In 2021, the UAE exported around 8.8 billion cubic meters of LNG, accounting for about 1.7% of world LNG exports. The country's aim is to increase LNG production to around 15 million tonnes annually.

Middle East and LNG imports

United Arab Emirates is not the only country rich with gas reserves in the Middle East to import gas. Countries in one the most gas rich regions import LNG by tanker. They include Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal in Kuwait in 2009, Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal in Dubai in 2010, Hadera LNG Terminal in Israel in 2013, Jordan through Aqaba Jordan LNG Terminal in 2015, Ruwais LNG Terminal in Abu Dhabi in 2016. The city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates plan to import LNG in 2018. Bahrain plans to import LNG through its Bahrain Hidd FLNG Terminal in 2019. Even Saudi Arabia has recently considered LNG imports.

The United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the Maldives Bahrain and Egypt in cutting off diplomatic ties and air, sea vessels, and land transportation links with Qatar in June 2017. They charged the gas-rich Qatar of supporting political extremist groups. The United Arab Emirates depends on imported gas to generate half its electricity. The country did not shut down the Dolphin Energy pipeline supplying gas from Qatar.

United Arab Emirates ports, including Jebel Ali, home of the Jebel Ali FLNG and the region’s largest container terminal, were prohibiting all vessels traveling to, or from, Qatar. A vessel carrying LNG to Dubai’s Jebel Ali port to deliver fuel under contract despite the ban on Qatari vessels. A tanker named Maran Gas Amphipolis moored in June 2017 originally listed Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal as the destination.

In July 2017 Al Jazeera reported that the United Arab Emirates received about two billion cubic feet of gas daily from Qatar. According to the International Gas Union’s World LNG 2017 report, UAE was the 12th largest LNG exporter by share between 2015 and 2016. The country exports about 5.6 million tons a year.

In August 2017 a Qatar shipping company, Milaha Maritime and Logistics, moved its hub from UAE to Oman. Blockading countries, led by Saudi Arabia, had denied Qatar access to their ports. Normally Qatar LNG stopped at the UAE’s Jebel Ali FLNG Terminal, Dubai, or in Abu Dhabi. The LNG then smaller boats in route to Doha, Qatar. Jebel Ali was difficult for Qatar to access during the blockade. Oman announced its desire to take Qatar's LNG through its port and it has remained neutral in the Saudi-led blockade. This move to Oman threatens Dubai’s status as a regional financial hub.

Industry analysts think believe that both Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi LNG Terminal and Oman will financially benefit from LNG trade transactions that used to take place in the UAE. Qatar Petroleum chief told Al Jazeera on July 2017 that at 7 million tons a year his country was the world's biggest LNG exporter.