Cartagena LNG Terminal (Spain)

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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Cartagena LNG Terminal is a liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Province of Murcia, Spain.

Location

It is located at Escombreras Dock, Cartagena, Province of Murcia, Spain.

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Project Details

• Owner:
• Parent: Enagás
• Location: Escombreras Dock, Cartagena, Province of Murcia, Spain
• Coordinates: 37.57457, -0.9595 (exact)
• Capacity: 7.6 mtpa, 1.09 bcfd
• Additional Proposed Capacity: mtpa, 0 bcfd
• Status: Operating
• Type: Import
• Start Year: 1989

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

Background

Cartagena LNG Terminal was commissioned in 1989 and includes five storage tanks with capacities of 55,000 m³, 105,000 m³, 127,000m³, and two with 150,000 m³.

In February 2017, Enagás completed modifications to the LNG terminal, increasing its flow rate and reducing the amount of boil-off gas produced during loading operations.

In April 2017, Enagás completed, in conjunction with Repsol S.A., the first pipe-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in Europe at the Cartagena LNG Terminal jetty.

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."