Dahej second jetty to allow bigger tankers to berth
Petronet-LNG has earmarked June 2008 to award the contract to put up a second jetty at the Dahej LNG terminal and regassification facility.
“We are targeting the second jetty to be ready for operations by the third quarter of 2010,†a Petronet-LNG source tells us. Preliminary indications are that the second jetty will be located 500 metres to the south of the present jetty, in line with global standards governing the safe distance between two LNG jetties.
Moreover, it will be a replica of the present jetty, and will extend 2.5-km out to sea. Petronet-LNG wants a second jetty so it can bring in more, bigger LNG cargoes when capacity is doubled to 10m t/y for July 1, 2008.
“With the second jetty we can buy up any floating LNG cargo from anywhere in the world and bring it to Dahej,†adds Petronet-LNG. “These days we turn down so many cargoes from France, Egypt and other places because the tankers are not compatible with our existing shore facilities.
†The new jetty will be able to berth tankers of 260,000 cubic metres LNG carrying capacity – the biggest to be built so far. “Qatar has ordered between 15 and 20 of these huge tankers and first deliveries will happen next year,†we are told.
“At Dahej we will create capacity to accommodate these tankers and we’ll be the only LNG terminal in Asia and the Far East to do so.†The present Dahej jetty can receive tankers of between 50,000 and 165,000 cubic metres capacity.
“The new jetty will be able to take in tankers of between 125,000 cubic metres and 260,000 cubic metres,†says Petronet-LNG. “This means both jetties put together can take in the entire range of present and future LNG tankers, giving us great flexibility and bring down our shipping costs.
†Petronet-LNG believes the second jetty shouldn’t cost more than $150m to build.