A first LNG carrier has signalled Norway’s Snohvit LNG terminal as its destination, suggesting that the liquefaction plant is preparing to resume exports after being offline for 19 months.
Eikland Energy data service iGIS/LNG said the 142,929-cbm Arctic Voyager (built 2006) is due to arrive at the Melkoya Island terminal to the north of Hammerfest plant on 9 May.
The data provider said that other vessels dedicated to serving the Snohvit facility also appear ready for action.
The 142,612-cbm Arctic Discoverer (built 2006) is currently anchored off the Gate LNG terminal, while the 147,208-cbm Arctic Lady (built 2006) is off Sines in Portugal.
The 4.3-million-tonne-per-annum Snohvit LNG plant has been offline for 19 months since a fire broke out in one of its turbines on 28 September 2020.
Large amounts of seawater used in tackling the blaze damaged other auxiliary systems such as electrical equipment and cables in the plant.
A planned restart in October 2021 was later pushed back to March 2022 and then postponed until May.
Snohvit operator Equinor blamed this on the scope of the repair work required and Covid-19 restrictions.
The project, which started operations in 2007, last exported a cargo on 9 September 2020, also aboard the Arctic Voyager.
Snohvit LNG has suffered a series of problems since its start-up.
The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority reported a total of 178 “undesired incidents” at the plant, with 68 of them comprising gas leaks, discharges and cases of fire.
The restart of the plant, whose volumes are sold on long-term contracts, comes as Europe steps up its search for LNG volumes as it moves to shift away from Russian pipeline gas supplies.
