Toscana FSRU
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Toscana FSRU, also referred to as Livorno LNG Terminal, is an LNG terminal off the coast of Livorno Province, Italy. An expansion to the terminal, which would improve its efficiency, is proposed.[1]
Location
The map below shows the approximate location of the terminal, 22km off the coast of Livorno Province, Tuscany Region.
Project Details
- Operator: OLT Offshore LNG Toscana[2]
- Owner: OLT Offshore LNG Toscana SpA[3]
- Parent: First State Investments (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, via First Sentier Investors Ltd)[4] (48.24%), Snam (49.07%), Golar LNG (2.69%)[5][2]
- Location: 22 km off the coast of Livorno Province, Tuscany Region, Italy
- Coordinates: 43.644444, 9.988889 (approximate)
- Capacity: 5 bcm/y (3.7 mtpa)[6]
- Status: Idle (from April 2024, expected to resume operations in October 2024)[6]
- Type: Import
- Start Year: 2014[5][7]
- Cost: €550–600 million[8]
Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcm/y = billion cubic meters per year
Background
Toscana FSRU is a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) terminal off the coast of Livorno Province, Italy.
OLT Offshore LNG Toscana SpA was founded in 2002, and this is presumed to be the proposal date of the terminal.
The terminal was created from a converted former LNG carrier ship, the "Golar Frost". Conversion work was conducted by Saipem in Dubai, and began in June 2009.[9][10] This is the presumed start date for construction, and also the presumed approximate final investment decision date. The unit arrived in Tuscany in July 2013, received its first cargo in October 2013, and entered into commercial operations in January 2014.[11][12][7]
The Toscana terminal is equipped to receive cargoes of up to 180,000 liquid cubic meters, allowing it accommodate most types of vessels. It has received LNG deliveries from a dozen different countries in Europe, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East. As of February 2019, the terminal reported that it was operating at 92% of its capacity.[13]
In April 2024, OLT Offshore said that the terminal's regasification capacity was fully booked through 2027.[14] The same month, the facility became idled so that "extraordinary" maintenance could be performed.[15][6] It is expected to come back online in October.[6]
Expansion Project (Efficiency)
In October 2022, the Tuscany region approved an expansion to Toscana FSRU that would increase the capacity from 3.75 bcm/y to up to 5 bcm/y. The expansion will consist only in improving vaporizer efficiencies and optimizing logistics, and will not include any plant modifications such as the addition of new facilities.[1]
In May 2023, OLT Offshore received government authorization to increase its regasification capacity. According to LNG Prime, "OLT said the new service, for which the plant upgrade has been completed, enables small LNG carriers to load LNG directly at the FSRU Toscana terminal, to refuel LNG ships or to deliver it to coastal deposits within Mediterranean ports." The additional regasification capacity will be offered in 2024.[16]
A January article from LNG Prime confirms that the terminal's capacity is now 5 bcm/y.[6]
Ownership
The terminal was originally owned by a consortium of Italy's Iren Group (49.07%), Germany's Uniper (formerly part of E.ON) (48.24%), and Norway's Golar LNG (2.69%). In May 2019, the Australian fund First State Investments acquired Uniper’s 48.24% share in the project. In February 2020, Snam completed the acquisition from Iren Group of a 49.07% stake in the terminal.[5][2] The €400 million sale to Snam resulted in the following new ownership structure: Snam (49.07%), First State Investments (48.24%), and Golar LNG (2.69%).[2]
Opposition
Opposition groups have cited the low utilization rates of Italy's operating LNG terminals to call into question the necessity of such extensive LNG infrastructure in the country. According to Food and Water Europe's 2019 profile on Italy's gas use, "Between January 2012 and March 2019 all Italian LNG terminals were used at only ~31% of their capacity."[17]
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rigassificatore Livorno, dalla Regione via libera al potenziamento. Giani: "Toscana centrale per l'indipendenza energetica". Livorno Today. October 11, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Snam in the share capital of OLT (Offshore LNG Toscana) • News". ConferenzaGNL. September 26, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers (May 24, 2022). "Annual Report 2022 Edition" (PDF). GIIGNL. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group], Wikipedia, May April 8, 2020
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 The LNG Industry: Annual Report 2020, page 38, International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers, accessed April 29, 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Staff, LNG Prime (2024-01-30). "Italy's OLT to halt FSRU ops for April-October maintenance". LNG Prime. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 First floating LNG platform begins commercial operations, Port Technology, 13 Jan. 2014.
- ↑ "Offshore LNG Toscana (OLT)". www.eib.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ↑ OLT Offshore LNG Toscana website, accessed July 2017.
- ↑ Livorno LNG Terminal, A Barrel Full, accessed April 2017.
- ↑ FSRU Toscana Arrives in Italy, LNG World News, 1 Aug. 2013.
- ↑ GNL Livorno, primo gas in rete, SNAM press release, 8 Oct. 2013.
- ↑ "OLT Offshore running FSRU Toscana at near full capacity". Offshore Energy. 2019-02-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ LNG Prime Staff (2023-04-24). "Italian FSRU operator says regas capacity fully booked until 2027". LNG Prime. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ↑ "FSRU Toscana Heads for Maintenance | Rigzone". www.rigzone.com. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ↑ Čučuk, Aida (2023-05-31). "OLT Offshore LNG Toscana sees increase in regasification capacity". Offshore Energy. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
- ↑ Italy Food and Water Europe, accessed December 5, 2019
