EC Approves €15 million in New Support for LNG Bunkering Efforts

AB Klaipedos Nafta (Klaipėdos Nafta) has announced that the European Union's (EU's) Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Coordination Committee on July 8 approved €15 million ($13.53 million) in financial support for the joint Blue Baltics project, which is intended to expand liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering network across the Baltic Sea. The EU support is specifically dedicated to five companies including Klaipėdos Nafta, which is said to be expected to receive €4 million ($3.61 million) of EU funds.

"Blue Baltics consists of investments in LNG mobile facility for bunkering of LNG ships in Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia and Germany," explains Klaipėdos Nafta, noting that the project will include the upgrade of Klaipėda LNG infrastructure, an expansion of LNG fuelling infrastructure in Estonia, and upgrade of a Swedish LNG distribution terminal, as well as the implementation of a bunkering vessel in Germany.

The Blue Baltic project is said to be slated for completion in 2019's second quarter.

Klaipėdos Nafta is noted to have received €6 million ($5.41 million) in EU support in 2015 in support of construction of an LNG reloading station, as well as €0.15 million ($140,000) in EU funding in 2014 for the LNG reloading station FEED and preparations. In June, Ship & Bunker reported that Dalius Misiunas, Chairman and CEO at Lietuvos Energija, UAB (Lietuvos Energija) said a joint venture between LitGas, UAB (LitGas), and Blue LNG was being considered, which could see Blue LNG operate a small LNG vessel that will perform bunkering operations and transport gas from Klaipėdos Nafta's LNG terminal in Klaipėda.