Adriatic LNG Terminal project gains momentum

The Gulf state's Emir has said that natural gas projects in Qatar have not suffered from the economic crisis.

The Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, said there have been signs of improvement in the world economy "which is a cause to believe the worst may be over.

"I would like to emphasise that none of our gas projects, which are under construction, were affected, whether in terms of the construction or the production operations or the building of supercarriers or the infrastructure projects at the consumption markets," he said during a ceremony marking the opening of Italy's Adriatic liquefied natural gas terminal, Reuters reported.

He reiterated Qatar's commitment to supply gas "in a sustained and secure manner," The Peninsula reported.

The Adriatic liquefied natural gas terminal will now cater for approximately 10 percent of Italy's natural gas requirements and is designed to receive six million tonnes of LNG per annum and store, regasify and deliver them by pumping through an offshore pipeline into the Italian gas network.

"This project is a symbol that expresses the friendship between our two countries and peoples, and an example for technical and economic cooperation in the field of energy between corporations and companies,""added the Emir in comments published by the Qatar Daily.

"It is the first of its kind in the world. It represents a qualitative leap in the manufacturing of LNG terminals, in terms of adherence to strict operational safety requirements and preserving the environment."

Qatar and Italy working together

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi added how the terminal would go a long way in ensuring secure energy supplies for his country. "Italy needs to diversify its supply sources of energy because of the disruption in supplies from Siberia through Ukraine. The supply of clean energy from Qatar will help Italy do that," he said.

The Adriatic LNG Terminal project is a giant platform located more than 40km offshore of the city of Venice. Qatar will supply gas to the terminal for 25 years.

When it reaches full operational capacity later this year, the terminal will be able to deliver 6mn tonnes of LNG a year (8bn cu m) to meet about 10 percent of Italy's current natural requirements.

The Emir have said that after nearly two decades of persistent efforts and hard work to develop its massive natural gas reserves, Qatar had become a leading country in the gas industry and the leading LNG exporter and transporter worldwide.

 

 

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