The LNG terminal: Principle and operation

Since the Russian offensive in Ukraine, France has been relying on LNG (liquefied natural gas) to emancipate itself from Russian natural gas.

It is not the only European country to dare this bet. The volume of European LNG imports jumped by 60% in 2022 before stabilizing in 2023.

This attraction for LNG is coupled with a renewed interest in floating and permanent LNG terminals. Construction projects are multiplying in Europe.

But what is the link between LNG and an LNG terminal? What is an LNG port? How does this port infrastructure designed to receive, store and process LNG work? Which countries supply LNG to France in 2024? Guided tour.

What is an LNG terminal?

The LNG terminal is a port infrastructure intended to accommodate boats specialized in the maritime transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Far from being simple ports, LNG terminals are equipped for take delivery of LNG and transform it safely into consumable natural gas.

What is LNG?

LNG (liquefied natural gas) is natural gas changed from gaseous to liquid state.

To transform into LNG, natural gas undergoes several treatments within a liquefaction unit. Purified and dehydrated, it is gradually compressed, cooled and then expanded.

Natural gas liquefies When it reaches a temperature around -160°C at atmospheric pressure. The LNG obtained is stored in cryogenic tanks to maintain it in liquid state.

LNG can be exploited in its liquid form, mainly as marine fuel and as an alternative to fossil fuels. But most often, it is transformed back into gaseous form to be consumed by the end customer. This conversion is carried out in the LNG terminals.

Why does LNG appeal to European countries?

In liquid form, natural gas takes up much less space than in gaseous form. Transforming natural gas into LNG makes it possible to Divide by 600 the storage volume required for the same quantity of energy!

This physical particularity facilitates the storage and transport of gas over very long distances. Where natural gas needs to be delivered by onshore pipelines, liquefied natural gas is transported by boat, in insulated cryogenic tanks.

Since the conflict in Ukraine, European countries have taken up this geographic flexibility to secure their gas energy supply. Replacing gas with LNG makes it possible to diversifying supply sources using more distant producing countries.

Thus, more than 700 LNG carriers are now crisscrossing the seas and oceans to deliver LNG around the world. A true giant of the seas, the Q-Max vessel can transport up to 267,000 m³ of LNG in its tanks, or nearly ten times the annual residential consumption of the city of Nantes.

What is the link between LNG terminal and LNG?

LNG would not be usable without an LNG terminal. A port infrastructure dedicated to the reception of LNG vessels, the LNG port plays a double role:

• Receiving and storing imported LNG.

• LNG regasification to inject it in gaseous state into the gas transport network and deliver it to final consumers.

The LNG terminal is also used to transship LNG from one ship to another, to divide cargo and transport it to different ports.

How does an LNG terminal work?

To receive, store and regasify LNG, the LNG terminal is equipped withadapted and highly secure chain infrastructures. LNG follows several steps before being injected into the gas transport network.

The reception and temporary storage of LNG

Once docked at the receiving dock of the LNG port, the LNG ship is emptied of its cargo using the unloading arms.

Via pipes that support a very low temperature, LNG is conveyed from the LNG tanker to cryogenic tanks where it is stored temporarily at around -160°C.

Liquefied LNG is regasified on demand, depending on gas consumption needs. A small quantity can be loaded onto tankers to be transported and consumed in liquid form.

The regasification of LNG into natural gas

When gas demand increases, LNG is delivered from tanks to regasification units. It undergoes a gradual rise in its temperature under high pressure in order to pass from liquid to gaseous state.

Several techniques exist for heating LNG. In France, LNG ports use water runoff technique. They use either seawater or hot water generated by a nearby industrial site or a nearby nuclear power plant.

Counting and odorization

Odorless and colorless, natural gas obtained by regasification of LNG is odorized for allow the detection of leaks.

The quantity of natural gas produced is also counted. This makes it possible to inject into the transport network the volume of gas corresponding to the needs of consumption in real time.

Injection into the gas transport network

Under appropriate pressure, natural gas is finally injected into the network to which the LNG terminal is connected. He is delivered to end customers via the transport network operated by GRTgaz and Terega, then the distribution network operated by GRDF.

LNG terminals in France

France counts in 2024 five LNG terminals, four of which are permanent and one floating.

Fos-Tonkin LNG terminal

Built in 1972, Fos-Tonkin is the France's oldest LNG terminal. It can store up to 80,000 m³ of LNG and regasify 1.5 billion m³ per year.

In particular, this site offers the recharging of micro-methane tankers in support of the development of the LNG sector as maritime fuel.

Montoir-de-Bretagne LNG terminal

Located on the Atlantic coast near Saint-Nazaire and created in 1980, it is theone of the most important LNG ports in Europe, with a storage capacity of 360,000 m³ of LNG. Its annual regasification capacity of 10 billion m³ is equivalent to approximately 20% of the annual gas consumption in France.

Fos-Cavaou LNG terminal

Commissioned in 2010, the Fos-Cavaou LNG terminal came into operation complete the service offer on the Mediterranean coast, near the Fos-Tonkin site.

The LNG port of Fos-Cavaou increases the LNG storage capacity in the Mediterranean area by 330,000 m³ and its regasification capacity by 10 billion m³ per year.

Dunkerque LNG terminal

In the North, the Loon-Plage port site located in Dunkerque is the latest LNG terminal in France.

Launched in 2017, it is the Second LNG terminal in continental Europe. It can store 600,000 m³ of LNG and regasify 13 billion m³ each year. Up to 176 LNG carriers can dock there annually. In 2023, the Dunkirk terminal injected 123 TWh of natural gas into the transport network.

Le Havre floating LNG terminal

Since October 26, 2023, TotalEnergies has commissioned its project for a new LNG terminal in the port of Le Havre. What's its particularity? The Cape Ann ship is a floating LNG terminal, equipped to transport LNG but also to store and regasify it.

Authorized for five years, this floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) can regasify up to 5 billion m³ of LNG each year, or around 10% of French consumption.

Which countries supply LNG to France in 2024?

In 2022, according to IEEFA and Eurostat (1), France imported LNG for a total record amount of 32 billion euros. Its imports increased by 100.6% between 2021 and 2022, making France the fourth largest LNG importer in the world.

Our country is behind Japan, China and South Korea where LNG is considered to be a cleaner source of energy, compared to coal.

With 16 billion euros in orders, the United States became the main supplier of LNG from France. With 5.4 billion euros, Russia is still in second place despite France's desire to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas. Qatar, Algeria, Angola and Norway follow.

To diversify its sources of supply, France signed in October 2023 LNG contracts with Qatar, via TotalEnergies. Starting in 2026, Qatar is committed to delivering up to 3.5 million tons of LNG to France every year for 27 years.

LNG terminals are an essential port infrastructure for the development of LNG in the world. Nevertheless, they remain controversial.

Encouraged by the conflict in Ukraine, the construction of new floating or permanent LNG terminals raises questions today, at a time when gas consumption is falling in Europe and when States are committed to carbon neutrality in 2050. This is the whole paradox raised by the media and associations, which the coming years will have to confirm or disprove.

(1) IEEFA: Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis/Eurostat: Directorate-General of the European Commission in charge of European Statistics