France's TotalEnergies to offer Le Havre FSRU capacity

Sep 10, 2023

A unit of French energy giant TotalEnergies is planning to launch a non-binding call of interest in January to offer regasification capacity at the FSRU-based import terminal in Le Havre.

TotalEnergies LNG Services France (TELSF), a unit of TotalEnergies, is working to install France's first FSRU-based facility in Le Havre, adding to the four existing onshore terminals.

Elengy operates the Fos Tonkin and Fos Cavaou LNG terminals on the Mediterranean coast and the Montoir-de-Bretagne facility on the Atlantic coast. Dunkerque LNG, led by Belgium's Fluxys, operates the Dunkirk LNG import terminal.

TotalEnergies and the French Ministry of Ecological Transition launched the Le Havre project in order to strengthen France's energy independence and replace Russian gas pipeline supplies by increasing LNG imports.

In July, Paris-based LNG engineering giant Technip Energies won a contract from TotalEnergies to provide a marine loading arm for the facility.

The firm will install the offloading solution on Bougainville dock in Le Havre.

The FSRU project in Le Havre would allow France to increase its regasification capacity by around 5 billion cubic meters per year.

TotalEnergies plans to reserve about 50 percent of this capacity, according to a social media post on Wednesday by TotalEnergies Green Gases and LNG.

"Set to start operations in September 2023, the new facility is expected to offer the market up to 2.5 billion cubic meters per year of regasification capacity for five years," it said.

Also, the request for exemption from regulated third-party access is currently under review by the relevant authorities.

The unit of TotalEnergies said that the company plans to launch the non-binding call of interest during January 16–27, 2023, while a binding open season could take place in March.

TotalEnergies will install and operate the FSRU while GRTgaz will operate the connecting pipeline to the gas transmission network.

The French firm previously said that the 2009-built 145,130-cbm, Cape Ann, would serve the Le Havre facility.

TotalEnergies charters Cape Ann from Hoegh LNG, such as Neptune that will serve the new Deutsche ReGas FSRU-based terminal in Lubmin.

Hoegh LNG Partners, now 100 percent owned by Hoegh LNG, has a 50 percent stake in Cape Ann.

Japan's MOL owns a 48.5 percent stake while Tokyo LNG Tanker has a 1.5 percent stake.