Maria van der Hoeven, Economics Affair Minister of the Netherlands gave the official go-ahead to build the first Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in June 2008. The terminal will have an initial throughput capacity of 12 billion m3 (bcm) per annum and will consist of three storage tanks and two jetties. Annual throughput capacity may be increased to 16 bcm a year in the future, as necessary. Each tank will have a capacity of 180,000 m3. Total cost of the terminal is estimated to be about 800 million Euro, and the site is expected to be finished and fully operational by the second half of 2011.

Essent was one of the first to sign up to a long-term supply contract (along with Dong Energy and EconGas) for a combined throughput of 9 bcm a year (of natural gas). And more recently Eon has joined the Gate project at the end of July 2008. Essent is a strong believer that an independent LNG terminal is vital for future gas distribution in Europe. This move also dovetails superbly with our policy of energy and supply diversification.

To read the original press releases related to this story, please refer to:

- Minister opening - www.vopak.com/press/137_1230.php
- 4th Customer joined Gate - www.vopak.com/press/137_1243.php