Petronet LNG Ltd said it is offering value-added-services to enhance the utilization of the Kochi LNG terminal, which has been a big drag on the company’s finances.
The 5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) has been a major headache for the company as various infrastructure bottlenecks have prevented the terminal from raising utilization levels beyond around 10%. The facility was set up two years ago.
The terminal does not have a reliable pipeline network to carry away the liquid natural gas that can be unloaded there.
“This is the first time in India that such services are being provided and it has put Petronet’s Kochi LNG terminal on the World map. There are very few regas terminals in the World who provide such services and, hence, it is a unique value proposition which Petronet has been able to offer at international benchmarks,” Petronet said.
The company did not specify how helpful these new services have been in raising utilization levels. Among the services that the company is providing are Gassing Up and Cool Down and the provision of bunker fuel.
“It provided the services relating to Gassing Up and Cool Down of an LNG vessel at the terminal recently. The services were provided to the vessel named “Golar Snow” which had arrived under nitrogen.
“For Gas up the Nitrogen is displaced with LNG vapours in a controlled manner. Then the vessel tanks are slowly cooled to about minus 110 deg. Celsius, before injecting LNG. The whole operation was performed in a period of 48 hours and the vessel left for its destination carrying a small “heel” quantity of LNG.”
A few days ago, Petronet had also provided LNG as a “bunker fuel” to a small vessel, the company said.
It was a vessel which, due to stringent pollution norms in its area of operations, has to run on the cleaner fuel – LNG. The Kochi LNG terminal has also been providing services relating to “storage” and “reload” of LNG.