In Finland, international oil, gas and marine technology major Wärtsilä Corporation has held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hamina LNG terminal that is to be engineered, procured and constructed by Wärtsilä. The ceremony, which took place September 25, was officiated by Finland’s Minister of Finance Petteri Orpo, as well as local officials and executives from Hamina LNG Oy and Wärtsilä.
According to Wärtsilä, the 30 000 m3 capacity terminal in southeast Finland will provide storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will also have re-gasification capability for sending the gas to the existing distribution network serving both regional and national markets.
In addition, the terminal will have a truck-loading area for LNG, as well as the possibility to supply bunkering barges and small-scale carriers. The tank foundation for the terminal has already been cast, and the facility is scheduled to become fully operational in 2020.
The project is part of the global expansion of the LNG infrastructure market in which the company continues to play a “valuable role” in this development through its “deep understanding and knowledge” of the LNG value chain, and its extensive offering in LNG related solutions.
This new terminal represents an important addition to Finland’s gas infrastructure and will support our ambition to provide a reliable supply of clean energy to local industry and businesses. We appreciate Wärtsilä’s extensive capabilities in LNG engineering, which have made this project possible, said Markku Tommiska, CEO, Haminan Energia Oy.
Wärtsilä Development and Financial Services (WDFS) has a minority investment in Hamina LNG Oy, the main shareholders of whom are local energy utility Haminan Energia Oy and Estonian energy company Alexela Group. Preparations are being made for a second 20 000 m3 LNG storage tank to be added in the terminal at a later date.
This project is very much in line with Wärtsilä’s emphasis on utilising LNG fuel to reduce the environmental impact of power generation. It also supports our vision of a future where 100 percent of energy will be sourced from renewables, such as solar and wind. For this, fast-starting, flexible, power plants fuelled by clean-burning LNG will be needed. Wärtsilä’s strength as a leading technology provider, together with our experience and expertise in LNG infrastructure development and power plant solutions, enables us to deliver fully integrated power solutions for a more efficient and cleaner energy future, said Alexandre Eykerman, Vice President, LNG Solutions at Wärtsilä.
