An LNG carrier from Bahamas discharges LNG at the ENN Zhoushan LNG Import Terminal on Oct 19. [Photo/ zj.zjol.com]

The ENN Zhoushan LNG Import Terminal, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal owned by the private Chinese gas distributor ENN Group, entered commercial operation on Oct 19 after two months of trials. 

As China's first LNG import terminal owned by a private company, it includes two 160,000-cubic-meter LNG tanks, three wharfs, 14 LNG-truck loading skids and other auxiliary facilities, with a capacity to handle 3 million metric tons of LNG per year. 

The terminal has so far handled altogether 120,000 tons of LNG since it received its first LNG carrier, Stena Blue Sky, on Aug 7. 

It will further enhance its gas transmission capacity under the support of local authorities, by increasing the maximum LNG load per day up to 400 trucks and tapping the market of transferring LNG by small vessels, according to the terminal's gas supply plan for this winter. 

The second phase of the terminal project, signed on Oct 18, is projected to be completed by the first half of 2021, which will feature two new 160,000-cu m LNG tanks and increase its service capacity to handling 5 million tons of LNG annually. 

Zhoushan is set to strengthen its LNG operations in the future, by taking advantage of the city's river-sea intermodal transport and cooperating with LNG stations in neighboring cities such as Ningbo and Wenzhou, to build an LNG network in the Yangtze River Delta and eventually, East China. 

LNG, seen as a vital energy source with winter just around the corner, is currently faced with a supply gap in Zhejiang province due to the increasing demands from the public, which makes the importing of LNG import a must to fill the gap. 

Cai Gang, head of the province's energy bureau, said that they were making plans to expand the construction of the LNG terminal and to build an LNG import hub to address the short supply of LNG in the province.

A meeting is held at the Marine Industry Cluster Area, Zhoushan, on Oct 19, to announce the commencement of commercial operation of the ENN Zhoushan LNG Import Terminal. [Photo/ zj.zjol.com]

The ENN Zhoushan LNG Import Terminal enters commercial operation on Oct 19 after two months of trials [Photo/ zj.zjol.com]