As a result of participation by E.ON Ruhrgas, the total capacity of the terminal is being increased to 12 billion cubic meters of gas annually. This corresponds to more than 130 large liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers that can dock there every year and provide northwestern Europe with gas.
E.ON Ruhrgas has booked an annual capacity of three billion cubic meters of gas at Rotterdam. This quantity is reportedly sufficient to supply over 1.5 million single-family homes for a whole year.
In addition, E.ON Ruhrgas is acquiring a 5% stake in the terminal operating company Gate (Gas Access to Europe), which is a joint venture between Nederlandse Gasunie and Royal Vopak.
Jochen Weise, member of the E.ON Ruhrgas board of management responsible for gas supply, said: The Gate terminal will be our gate for supplying the northwest European market with LNG. Joining this project is therefore a major milestone in supplying Germany with gas.
At the same time, Mr Weise expressed his commitment to the Wilhelmshaven site in Germany, where E.ON Ruhrgas is likewise pursuing a project for the construction of an LNG terminal.
Mr Weise also said that, against the background of worldwide competition for LNG as well as adequate supplies of reasonably priced pipeline gas for Germany, the open season procedure for booking capacity at the Wilhelmshaven terminal showed that too few shippers are interested in booking firm capacity there.
