FACTBOX | LNG imports loom for Australia with four terminal projects underway
Australia could start imports of liquefied natural gas from 2027, based on developments at import terminal projects along its east coast, to address potential supply shortages.
The country's competition regulator has said that the east coast may face a longer-term shortfall amid higher demand and structural decline.
Below is a list of four proposed projects being advanced on the east coast, consisting of floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), which will send gas via pipelines back to the mainland for consumption.
Port Kembla Energy Terminal
Operator: Squadron Energy
Location: New South Wales
LNG Import Capacity: Two million tonnes a year
Operational Date: 2027
The Port Kembla Energy Terminal is already commissioned and plans to import around two million tonnes of LNG yearly.
The project's commercial operations date has been delayed to 2027 from 2026 after operator Squadron Energy extended the sub-charter of the FSRU, Hoegh Galleon, to Egypt's EGAS until end-2026, according to a company spokesperson.
The terminal is already connected to gas and electricity distributor Jemena's Eastern Gas Pipeline, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Outer Harbor Terminal
Operator: Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific (AGP) LNG
Location: Port Adelaide
LNG Import Capacity: Two million tons a year
Operational Date: 2027
Singapore-based Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific (AGP) LNG has agreed to acquire Australian energy infrastructure developer Venice Energy and will develop its Outer Harbor import terminal in South Australia.
The proposed terminal, pending a final investment decision, will be built by converting a 145,000 cubic metre LNG carrier to an FSRU.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the first gas to flow into the system by mid-2027, Venice Energy said on its website.
Geelong Terminal
Operator: Viva Energy Group
Location: Geelong, Victoria
LNG Import Capacity: Two million tonnes a year
Operational Date: 2028
The Australian government has cleared the construction of Viva Energy Group's LNG terminal in Geelong, the company said on May 30.
The terminal will use an FSRU with a seven-kilometre (4.35 miles) pipeline connecting it to Victoria, with a capacity of 160 petajoules or about 2.9 million tonnes per year.
First gas deliveries are expected in 2028.
Victorian Energy Terminal
Operator: Vopak
Location: Port Phillip Bay, Victoria
LNG Import Capacity: Up to approximately 70,000 tonnes a year
Operational Date: 2029
Vopak has started talks with gas suppliers and offtakers for its LNG import terminal project in Victoria and expects to make a final investment decision in 2026-2027. It aims to start terminal operations in 2029.
Vopak is seeking an FSRU with a capacity of 170,000 cubic metres to regasify LNG, and gas would be transported to Victoria through a 19-kilometre underwater pipeline.
(Reporting by Michele Pek; Editing by Emily Chow, Florence Tan and Rachna Uppal)
