Barcelona LNG Terminal

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor and the Center for Media and Democracy.

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Barcelona LNG Terminal is an LNG export terminal. It is the oldest liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in Spain.

Location

It is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

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Project Details

• Owner:
• Parent: Enagás
• Location: Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
• Coordinates: 41.3394, 2.1583 (exact)
• Capacity: 12.8 mtpa, 1.84 bcfd
• Additional Proposed Capacity: mtpa, 0 bcfd
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 1969

Note: mtpa = million tonnes per year; bcfd = billion cubic feet per day

Background

Barcelona LNG Terminal commenced operations in 1969 and is currently the oldest operating LNG regasification terminal in Spain. It currently includes six LNG storage tanks with a total capacity of 760,000 m³.

In May 2012, RegGas announced its LNG carrier Al-Utouriya was the first Q-Flex vessel to deliver LNG to the Barcelona LNG Terminal.

In June 2016, Enagás and the Port of Barcelona announced plans to develop and convert the Port of Barcelona into an LNG distribution hub, which will include adapting a berth in order to supply barges and smaller ships with LNG, modifying a barge so it can supply LNG to ships, and designing and installing an LNG-fueled electric generator to supply moored cargo ships with electricity.

Opposition

Opposition groups have cited the low utilization rates among Spain's LNG terminals to call into question the necessity of such extensive LNG infrastructure. According to Food and Water Europe, "Since 2008, all LNG terminals (except for Mugardos) have been expanded and the total regasification capacity has increased by 8%, despite a decline in gas demand...even though the utilisation rate of Spain’s LNG regasification capacity was at only ~23% on average between January 2012 and March 2019, same as the low EU average during the same time period! The need to have so much LNG regasification capacity is questionable and best illustrated with the El Musel LNG Terminal (7bcm/y and a 300,000m³ storage capacity) which was completed in 2012 and then directly put into 'hibernation', 'until demand picks up'. The terminal has not been used since then. Despite large underutilization, Spain was the 5th biggest LNG importer with the 5th biggest liquefaction capacities worldwide in 2018, and for both cases number 1 in Europe (followed by France). Since at least 2016, Spain repeatedly imported cargoes of fracked US gas through its LNG terminals."