Filenews 11 January 2023
According to the CNA, "the works for the construction of the pier in Vasilikos begin on January 16, as part of the project of the Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA), for the import of liquefied natural gas for power generation purposes, a project that is expected to be completed in July 2023, at a cost of €315 million".
The agency adds that, according to Navtex issued on Monday by the Search and Rescue Coordination Center (RCC), work will begin on January 16, with Navtex having no expiration date. In particular, it is reported that from January 16, barges and tugboats will carry out maritime work on the construction of an LNG terminal (pier). According to the CNA, "the Cypriot authorities estimate that, in the midst of the new outbreak of coronavirus cases in China, if a new strict lock-down is not imposed by the Chinese authorities, then the ship's conversion works are expected to be completed in the summer of 2023 and the floating unit will be transferred to Cyprus".
What the pier includes
Although no new timetable has been officially announced for the delivery of the pier and the overall project (the floating plant - FSRU is being built in China) and at least theoretically the contractor's commitment to operate the terminal in July 2023 is still valid, the works that remain to be done within the next seven months look like a mountain.
According to the revised Spatial Development Plan of the Vasilikos Area, the works that will be carried out and are linked to the construction and operation of the pier (jetty), which are expected, according to navtex of the Republic of Cyprus to start on 16/1/2023, include the following:
◗ Construction of a pier for permanent FSRU mooring, including mooring equipment, loading platform, offshore components, coast protection works, etc.
◗ Construction of a natural gas pipeline (on board the jetty) and its installation (from the ship to the shore, gas loading arm and fire protection system.
◗ Construction of an onshore gas pipeline and onshore installation, including the PIG trapping facility.
◗ Construction of emergency gas storage facilities for natural gas reserves.
◗ Construction of a Pressure Reduction (Compression) and Measurement Station ("PRMS"), including the installation of a PIG trap.
According to the spatial plan, the pier will be located 1.3 km west of the main breakwater of Terminal 2 (Vasilikos) of the Port of Limassol. The pier consists of a bridge, a parabola position (parabola and mooring temples) and a central platform. The bridge extends to the coast in a north-south direction, for about 750 m and then turns southwest for about 430 m to form the FSRU anchorage.
Onshore constructions
The onshore infrastructure of the terminal, which will also be built before its operation, provides for:
◗ Natural gas loading arms.
◗ Fire safety system of the pier (jetty).
◗ Gas pipeline: The gas pipeline has a length of about 2 km, a nominal diameter of 600 mm (24 inches) and a steel construction. The pipeline is used to transport gas from the FSRU, through two loading arms, to the PRMS and finally to the VPS supply flange. The pipeline will be installed above the ground, except for the parts between the above-ground coastal facilities and the PRMS and between the PRMS and the VPS delivery flange that will be below ground.
◗ Installation of storage of emergency gas reserves. It is an underground piping arrangement (48'') that provides the system with additional gas capacity.
◗ Pressure reduction and metering station (PRMS).
No mention of meeting with companies
Although yesterday's meeting of the Minister of Energy with representatives of ENI, Total and ExxonMobil had been made public through the media, in order to discuss synergies and ways to accelerate the extraction and exploitation of natural gas in deposits 6 and 10, the Ministry of Energy did not issue an announcement yesterday on the outcome of the meeting. No statements were made by those present either. Perhaps this is due to the fact that this was a preliminary discussion, the main purpose of which was to bring together the people of the three companies and to facilitate the creation of a dialogue between them, so that they could take advantage of any possibilities for cooperation to exploit the deposits as quickly as possible.
