Introduction

Rising demand for gas in Europe, declining imports from the North Sea and a growing geographical distance between producer and consumer regions... The growth in global gas trading is accelerating. This rapid expansion of international flows is being accompanied by equally rapid growth in the marine shipping of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

So what are the benefits compared with building more gas pipelines? The answer is greater flexibility of supply and lower costs over distances of 3,000+ km. The LNG chain also allows gas to be shipped safely where transmission by pipeline is impossible or where the distance between its point of production and point of consumption is too great.

The construction of the Dunkerque LNG terminal is a direct response to these new challenges.

Key information:

Shareholders

The Dunkerque LNG terminal is owned and operated by Dunkerque LNG, a company 65% owned by EDF, 25% by Fluxys and 10% by Total .

The EDF Group has set out an ambitious programme to expand its gas capacities as the basis for supplying a growing portfolio of natural gas customers:

• ±1 million in France
• 3 million customers outside France (in Italy, the UK and Belgium)

Fluxys has 35 years of expertise in the LNG market, and wishes to make its contribution to securing natural gas supplies for European end-user customers by facilitating the additional deliveries of gas from more distant sources. It is against this background that the role played by liquefied natural gas (LNG) is becoming more important all the time.
Fluxys is an active contributor to the expansion of the integrated European transmission network that facilitates the transit of gas flows and natural gas trading between EU member states. The greater the level of interconnection between EU national markets, the easier natural gas flows and trading between countries will become – the combined effect of which will be greater market liquidity.

Total is a global leader in LNG. From upstream where Total is producing in most major regions to downstream where it has access to the main consumer markets, Total is active all along the LNG chain. Total markets gas and power to end users in France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Belgium and in the Netherlands.
Total has secured long term access to LNG regasification capacity in Europe and in Asia which offers access to markets and LNG portfolio flexibility.

Facilities and installations

• a jetty large enough to enable the unloading/reloading of the largest LNG carriers (267,000m³) at a maximum flow rate of 14,000 m³ per hour for unloading and 4,000 m³ per hour for reloading. The Dunkerque LNG terminal is currently being modified to enable a maximum reloading flow rate of 8,800 m³ (LNG) per hour
• 3 storage tanks, each capable of storing 190,000 m³ of LNG at -163°C
• 10 Open Rack Vaporizers (ORV) or regasifiers to raise the temperature of the LNG and enable it to return to its natural gas state ready to be sent out into the supply network
• a 5 km tunnel between the discharge canal of the Gravelines nuclear power plant and the terminal – to carry some of the heated cooling water discharged by the power plant for use in reheating the LNG in the ORVs

Technical capacity

The Dunkerque LNG terminal will have an annual regasification capacity of 13 billion m³ of gas, which is sufficient to meet approximately 20% of annual consumption in France and Belgium, making it the largest terminal of its kind in Continental Europe. It is also the only terminal to be connected directly to 2 markets – France and Belgium – using 2 separate pipelines.

Operator

Upon commissioning, the terminal will be operated by Gaz-Opale, a company 51% owned by Dunkerque LNG and 49% by the Belgian group of companies Fluxys. The operator will therefore bring all its specialised operational and safety skills to the ongoing operation of the Dunkirk terminal.