Inpex Corp. said its Naoetsu LNG terminal in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, began operations ahead of schedule on 1 Dec.
The main facilities include two above-ground LNG tanks with storage capacity of 180,000kl and a berth for unloading a 210,000cu m LNG tanker (Q-flex). The terminal’s capacity to receive and regas LNG is 1.5 million tonnes/year, which Inpex says is equivalent to the annual gas consumption of five million households.
The new LNG terminal is adjacent to the Joestu thermal power plant operated by Chubu Electric Power Co. These two terminals are connected by pipes to share LNG in case of an emergency.
Inpex made the final investment decision to construct the terminal in August 2008, and began construction in July 2009. The first LNG carrier berthed at the terminal on 27 August this year, followed by commissioning for full-scale commercial operations, which had been scheduled for January 2014.
INPEX is going to supply LNG as the feed gas to the terminal, based on the LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement with Chubu Electric concluded on 31 July this year. The LNG will be sourced from INPEX projects, including the Ichthys LNG project in Australia, which will start production by the end of 2016.
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