First LNG Shipment Arrives from Krk Terminal to Hungary

The first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has arrived from the Croatian import terminal in Krk to Hungary, thus adding a new mode and route to the domestic gas supply chain, which currently serves mainly transport purposes; soon the route may be opened for industrial use as well, ARELGAS Ltd. told the state news agency MTI on Wednesday.

With ARELGAS putting into service the first LNG transport tanker train in Hungary, the possibility has been opened for gas to arrive in Hungary not only by pipeline but also by transport vehicle, often called ‘virtual pipeline’, from the LNG FSRU (Liquefied Natural Gas Floating Storage Re-gasifier Unit) facility on the island of Krk, the LNG import terminal closest to Hungary.

The Krk terminal, operational since January 2021, will be primarily responsible for receiving and storing liquefied natural gas (LNG) transported by tanker vessels and, after regasification, transporting it by pipeline to the interior of the continent, including Hungary.

This spring, they said, additional activities could be launched at the terminal, with the possibility of loading road tankers. In addition to natural gas, this will also enable the transport of liquefied natural gas from Krk to Hungary.

ARELGAS Ltd.'s LNG carrier vehicle, after being tested and placed in service, was prepared in accordance with the terminal's extremely complex technical and safety requirements. "The arrival of the first Hungarian vehicle home from the Krk terminal and its subsequent transfer to the gas storage tank is a milestone in terms of security of supply, diversification of the transport route and, of course, the possibility of cost reduction. The shortening of the transport route to supply industrial customers and thus more accurate scheduling of the delivery is an important result of the process that has now been launched," the company's statement said.

Hungary currently has three LNG filling stations, two of which are operated by ARELGAS along the M0 motorway just outside Budapest. The third, which is about to open, is located at Mosonmagyaróvár, close to the Austrian border, along the M1 motorway. Next year, the number of filling points in Hungary will double to meet the needs of the growing number of LNG-powered vehicles.