Norwegian state owned company Gassco has inaugurated a new facility in Emden, Germany for receiving gas exports from Norway.
Covering about 1.2ha, the new terminal has a capacity of 34.1 million standard cubic metres per day.
The new facility forms part of the Gassco Emden Project (GEP) and replaces the existing Norsea Gas Terminal (NGT) and receives a proportion of the Norwegian gas with the help of the Norpipe pipeline.
NGT became operational in 1977 in connection with the development of Ekofisk field in Norway.
Gassco CEO Frode Leversund said: “This is an important milestone in a very good and long-term energy collaboration between Norway and Germany.
“The new terminal ensures gas supplies to Germany for many decades to come and strengthens Norway’s role as a key energy supplier to the European market.
“Construction of the new Emden terminal has been one of the most important assignments we at Gassco have ever undertaken as operator.”
Investment decision for the terminal was taken by the Gassled joint venture in 2012.
The terminal has been constructed on a portion of the existing terminal site that is presently not in use.
Linde Engineering Dresden secured a contract in March 2013 from Gassco on behalf of the Gassled joint venture to build the facility, following which physical work commenced later that year.
The functionality of the Emden terminal will be tailored to meet future demand for processing gas from the Ekofisk area, as well as other parts of the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
As part of the project, the company installed about 2,000t of steel, 1,700m of large-diameter piping, 250,000m of instrument cables, 330,000m of electrical cables and 10,000t of concrete on the site.
Image: From left: Gassco general manager Germany Alfred Skår Hansen, German minister of Economics, Labour and Transport in Lower Saxony Olaf Lies, Norwegian secretary of state Ingvil Smines Tybring-Gjedde, Gassco CEO Frode Leversund, Norwegian Minister of EEA and EU Elisabeth Alsaker and Parliamentary secretary of state Uwe Beckmeyer. Photo: courtesy of GASSCO.
