Tianjin LNG Terminal (PipeChina)

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Tianjin FSRU (CNOOC) (中海油天津海上浮储LNG接收站) is an LNG import terminal in Nanjiang Port, Binhai New District, Tianjin, China. The terminal began as a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), though subsequent expansion was onshore, and as of 2023 it is considered an onshore LNG terminal. The terminal was also previously owned by CNOOC and was formerly known as Tianjin LNG Terminal (CNOOC) （中海油天津LNG接收站）. After its ownership was transferred to Pipechina in 2019, it began to be called Tianjiang LNG Terminal (PipeChina) (国家管网天津LNG接收站).

Location

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Project details

Phase 1

• Owner: PipeChina Tianjin LNG Co., Ltd. 国家管网集团天津液化天然气有限责任公司
• Parent company: National Oil and Gas Pipeline Group Co., Ltd. 46%, Tianjin Port (Group) Co., Ltd. 40%, Tianjin State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd. 9%, Tianjin Hengrongda Technology Co., Ltd. 5%.

国家石油天然气管网集团有限公司	46.00%
天津港（集团）有限公司	40.00%
天津国有资本投资运营有限公司	9.00%
天津恒融达科技有限公司	5.00%

• Location: Tianjin, China
• Coordinates: 38.93219003859341, 117.87615417619945 (exact)
• Capacity: 2.2 mtpa, 0.32 bcfd
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start year: 2013

Phase 2

• Owner: PipeChina Tianjin LNG Co., Ltd. 国家管网集团天津液化天然气有限责任公司
• Parent company: National Oil and Gas Pipeline Group Co., Ltd. 46%, Tianjin Port (Group) Co., Ltd. 40%, Tianjin State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd. 9%, Tianjin Hengrongda Technology Co., Ltd. 5%.
• Location: Tianjin, China
• Coordinates: 38.93219003859341, 117.87615417619945 (exact)
• Capacity: 6 mtpa
• Status: operating
• Type: Import
• Start year: 2022

Phase 3

• Owner: PipeChina Tianjin LNG Co., Ltd. 国家管网集团天津液化天然气有限责任公司
• Parent company: National Oil and Gas Pipeline Group Co., Ltd. 46%, Tianjin Port (Group) Co., Ltd. 40%, Tianjin State-owned Capital Investment and Operation Co., Ltd. 9%, Tianjin Hengrongda Technology Co., Ltd. 5%.
• Location: Tianjin, China
• Coordinates: 38.975833, 117.7875 (exact)
• Capacity: 1.8 mtpa
• Status: Construction
• Type: Import
• Start year: 2022

Background

This terminal began as Tianjin FSRU (CNOOC) — a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) LNG terminal in Tianjin, China.

CNOOC chose the FSRU plan due to increased difficulties in winning state approval for a land-based receiving terminal. CNOOC began construction on Tianjin FSRU in December 2012 and received its first shipment of LNG at the Tianjin terminal in late 2013. The terminal has a receiving capacity of 2.2 mtpa and two 30,000 cubic meter storage tanks in its planned first phase.

Initially, a second phase was planned, which included a land-based terminal and increased capacity to 6.4 mtpa, but it was reportedly abandoned due to funding issues. In December 2016, a natural gas pipeline in Tianjin ruptured, caught fire, and two cargoes of imported LNG were diverted from CNOOC’s Tianjin FSRU at the time.

In May 2018, CNOOC announced a planned expansion that would increase the terminal's capacity to 7.5 mtpa by 2030.

In November 2018, a 160,000 storage tank was completed on land. It was the key part of the FSRU gasification capacity replacement project (FSRU气化能力替代工程).

The second phase with receiving capacity of 6 mtpa began construction in April 2020. Phase II would construct six LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 220,000 cubic meters. The commissioning date was expected at 2022. In December 2022, the first stage of phase II was completed. The second stage of phase II was completed in November 2023.It would reportedly increase the receiving capacity to more than 10 mtpa.

In 2020, the Tianjin FSRU reportedly transferred 4.32 million tonnes of natural gas.

The third phase of Tianjin FSRU LNG project was permitted in July 2022. Phase III intended to add four LNG storage tanks with 220,000 cubic meters each, and other supporting facilities on land. The gas storage capacity will reach 528 million cubic meters per year after completion. The total receiving capacity of Tianjin FSRU LNG terminal will then be 10 mtpa.

On December 29, 2022, the construction of the test pile for the preliminary design began, signalling the project is making progress towards the construction.

In January 2023, there was news that the construction on Phase III officially began. However, no further information to support the claim.

In March 2023, The offshore FSRU Cape Ann officially left Tianjin Port after 10 years of serving. Tianjin LNG terminal is now an onshore terminal.

10年来，“安海角”共计在港停靠1967天，承担了430万吨LNG的储存任务，安全、稳定、高效地向华北地区输送天然气超70亿方，为保障我国的能源安全做出了重要贡献。

Ownership change

In February 9, 2019, the National Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Group Co., Ltd. (PipeChina) was established with a major focus on the investment and construction of the long-distance oil and gas pipeline network and storage & peaking facilities, offering fair and open oil and gas pipeline transmission services. 10 existing and under-construction LNG terminals were reportedly transferred or are going to transfer their ownerships to PipeChina. Tianjin FSRU (CNOOC) is one of them.

This terminal was therefore originally known as Tianjin FSRU (CNOOC). With the majority of the infrastructure moving onshore, and the ownership change, it is known as of 2023 in the Global Energy Monitor database as Tianjin LNG Terminal (PipeChina).