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LNG
GDF SUEZ is the world leader in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), with 21 billion cubic metres imported in 2007.
LNG, a strategic challenge
LNG provides a means of increasing the diversity of the Group’s supply sources:
- By accessing new supply sources of natural gas when the creation of a gas pipeline is not a viable possibility,
- By being able to always select the best solution to serve its customers’ requirements,
- By supplying new markets: the Group can seize opportunities on short-term markets, while at all times guaranteeing its customers secure supplies.
A presence on most of the commercial LNG routes…
GDF SUEZ has access to many loading points through a combination of long-term contracts and spots contracts.
... and at every stage in the supply chain
GDF SUEZ is present at every stage in the LNG supply chain, with:
- Liquefaction plants in which the Group owns shares in Egypt, Norway, Latin America, etc.,
- A fleet of 15 LNG tankers (plus 5 under construction) to transport LNG,
- LNG terminals where the LNG is unloaded and regasified in France, Belgium, the United States, etc.
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LNG, a tool for accessing new gas deposits
In order to produce LNG, natural gas is cooled to a temperature of -160 °C, whereupon it becomes liquid and its volume shrinks by a factor of 600. It is then possible to transport it by sea, using specially designed LNG tankers. The LNG is then unloaded at LNG terminals where it is stored, regasified and injected into the natural gas transportation network.