Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions with answers about a.o. LNG, the location, are mentioned in the overview below.
Safety
What are the storage risks?
The LNG carriers will be berthed at Gate terminal in a separate canal. This ‘Kleine beer-canal’ will not be accessible to heavier and larger vessels. A small island is created as a natural barrier between Gate terminal and the unloading route. Vessels with a deep draught will be grounded because the harbour will be just 14 metres deep. The carriers will be guided by highly trained pilots and tugs. The Port of Rotterdam Authority accordingly thinks the risk of collision is acceptably low. The pipes that carry the LNG to the tanks will be permanently cooled. Once a carrier is safely moored, communications will open between ship and shore. When the all-clear is given, the unloading arms will be connected. A checklist will be run through and then the arms will be cooled so that the LNG can be discharged. Should anything unexpected happen, a significant number of security measures have been built in, such as automatic stops on the pumps and valves, and the arms are programmed to break loose and dry (without releasing any LNG) if they are in danger of being overextended. Detailed checks are made in advance, this is a worldwide standard procedure for all LNG terminals.
What is the likelihood of a collision?
In the 50 years that LNG has been carried by ship, there has never been a serious incident involving a significant leakage. Nevertheless, the environmental impact assessment considered the possible consequences of an accident.
The Maritime Research Institute (MARIN) in Wageningen carried out an extensive study of the likelihood of an LNG carrier being involved in a collision on the way to the jetty at the LNG terminal. Its report is appended to the environmental impact report.
The study concluded that the likelihood of a collision was highest at the anchorage, in the Euro channel (both offshore) and when turning out of the Beer channel and the LNG harbour. The leakage of LNG owing to a collision at the berth can be ruled out (head-to-head and side-on collisions are extremely unlikely in the LNG harbour). The likelihood of LNG escaping in the proximity of industrial or residential buildings in the vicinity is therefore very small. It is approximately 2.5 x 10-10 per vessel at most, or a probability of 1 in 4 billion.
On the northeast side of the new harbour, part of Papegaaienbek will be retained as the 'Papegaaienbek Island'. It will effectively separate the LNG carriers in the harbour from other shipping, virtually ruling out the risk of collision with an LNG carrier in the harbour.
What are the effects of LNG escaping from a vessel?
The environmental impact assessment calculated the distance at which the impact of a collision would still be perceptible in various weather conditions. In the most unfavourable situation, in which the gas cloud does not immediately ignite, an incident near the Beer channel or in the Yangtze harbour would have an impact distance of nearly 1,500 metres. Depending on the wind direction, that is the distance at which the concentration of gas in the air would become lower than the ignition point. Moreover, any gas cloud would rise because the gas is lighter than air. The downwind risk is therefore virtually zero.
How many ship movements will there be on average given the LNG terminal’s future size/capacity?
For an LNG terminal with a capacity of 8 – 16 billion m3 there would be between three and four ship movements a week on average and about 180 a year.
Will the delivery of LNG on the Maasvlakte disrupt other ship movements?
The location of the LNG basin has been planned so that the carriers can carry out short and simple maneuvers that maximize safety and minimize disruptions for other ships.
How safe will the terminal be?
Safety will come first in every phase of every process at the LNG terminal. Safety can be guaranteed because the LNG industry began to develop standard codes, equipment and designs back in the early 1970s and has earned an excellent safety reputation over the years. Gate terminal recognizes the overriding importance of the environment and safety. Both partners conduct strict policies on the environment, health and safety. The terminal’s policy will aim at “no harmful emissions”. Throughout the world, natural gas and LNG are seen as an energy source with a favorable environmental impact. The safety track record of these products is also impressive.
Experience with LNG?
Gasunie has 30 years’ experience managing and operating an LNG peak shaving plant at the Mississippi dock on the Maasvlakte. A 12-hectare site houses a plant for liquefying natural gas, two LNG storage tanks, a liquid nitrogen storage tank, high pressure pumps and vaporisers. This peak shaver has a maximum capacity of 1.3 million m3 of natural gas per hour. Apart from during periods of peak demand in extremely cold winters, the plant can offer additional support if there are disruptions or failures at a gas producer.
What is the environmental impact of LNG?
From the moment the LNG is regasified, the environmental impact is identical to that of natural gas (e.g. fewer CO2 emissions on combustion in comparison with coal). The energy needed for the regasification process can be produced by using some of the gas itself. If there is direct environmental exposure, for example through leakage, LNG causes less damage than an oil spill since it will immediately regasify.
