Operations and major projects

LNG truck loading station – a new service under development

16/10/17

Work on the future truck loading station will start at the LNG terminal by the end of the year, to the south of tank 3. The station is expected to be in operation at the end of 2018.

The truck loading station is the first investment made by Dunkerque LNG less than a year after the terminal began commercial operations. "The station will be used to fill tank trucks with liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is designed to receive up to 3,000 trucks per year, representing a total of around 60,000 tonnes of LNG," says Sylvain Ringot, industrial development director at Dunkerque LNG.

The future truck loading station will contain a filling module. It is the first step in the expansion of LNG fuel, which is likely to ultimately result in a more comprehensive offering based on clients' needs. Work is set to begin in mid-November. An initial civil engineering contract has been awarded to Ramery. The other contracts are currently being awarded. The truck loading station is scheduled to enter service in late 2018.

The Port of Dunkirk and Dunkerque LNG signed a partnership agreement in June to develop the station. As a result of this agreement, the Port of Dunkirk is supporting Dunkerque LNG with its commitment to build and operate the loading station as part of a more comprehensive project to implement an LNG provisioning service by land and sea in the Port of Dunkirk, thus making LNG truck loading available to the market.

One month later, Dunkerque LNG signed an agreement with Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions (TMFGS), the Total group entity responsible for marketing marine fuel, to supply Honfleur, the first French LNG-powered ferry, which will operate the Ouistreham (Normandy) to Portsmouth (UK) route from 2019. The LNG tanks (ISO containers) filled at the Dunkerque LNG terminal's truck loading station will then be taken by lorry to the port of Ouistreham before being hoisted by crane onto the vessels using purpose-installed gantries. These containers will be used to fill a fixed LNG storage tank located to the aft of the vessel. Once empty, the containers will be unloaded the next time the vessel calls at Ouistreham and replaced with full containers. 

"More and more vessels are being powered by LNG, which is a cleaner fuel than heavy fuel oil. This is a fast-growing market. That's why we thought it would be beneficial to develop an LNG provisioning service at the terminal," adds Sylvain Ringot.

"The tank truck loading bay expands our offering, thus adding value to our facilities. It's a first step towards other LNG fuel-supporting developments," says Béatrice Prud'homme, chair of Dunkerque LNG.

Article présenté sur la lettre d'information : Octobre 2017