A floating storage unit has finally moored at the new LNG import terminal in Bahrain in readiness to begin cool-down operations of the onshore plant.

Personnel working on the project told TradeWinds the 173,400-cbm Bahrain Spirit (built 2018) was towed into position and moored on Monday.

The vessel arrived off the new facility in the Hidd Industrial Area in August with a cargo onboard.

The gas is expected to be used for commissioning operations.

A second shipment of LNG is due to arrive at the plant by the end of this month.

From then on, the Bahrain terminal is expected to receive about one cargo per month to be discharged into the FSU for transfer ashore to the land-based regasification facilities.

The terminal’s developers are looking to sell the imported gas to additional customers, which might increase shipments to between two and three cargoes per month.

The start-up of the Bahrain terminal has been delayed multiple times, largely due to issues with the construction of the shoreside plant, and was due to come on-stream last year. But the Bahrain Spirit has been on hire to the project since the beginning of this year.

The FSU, which was contracted as an LNG carrier but modified prior to delivery, loaded in the Middle East and was waiting off Dubai for months before leaving for Bahrain.

The new import terminal is located to the north-east of Khalifa Bin Salman Port and will offer 800m standard cubic feet per day of capacity.

Teekay LNG Partners controls a 30% stake in Bahrain LNG with local developer Oil & Gas Holding Co owning a 30% share, Gulf Investment Corp on 24% and Samsung C&T Corp controlling 16%.