The regasification vessel BW Singapore docks in Italy: the last phase for arrival and entry into operation in Ravenna begins

The BW Singapore ship, the FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit) that will enter into operation in Ravenna in the spring of next year, has arrived in Italy.

The floating unit, coming from the Dubai shipyards, has reached the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, one of the most important in the Mediterranean, where it will stop for just over a month for technical finishing operations, specifically for mechanical, instrumental and electrical work and fine-tuning work on some equipment. These activities are aimed at preparing the regasification vessel for the subsequent gassing and cooling operations, scheduled at the Cartagena terminal, in Spain. The ship is then expected in Ravenna in February for the connection to the mooring platform, completed and laid last November, the reception of additional quantities of LNG and the last verification activities preparatory to the entry into operation scheduled for the first days of April 2025.

"The ship's arrival in Italian waters is a further step in the strategy to diversify gas supplies launched in 2022, which has allowed the country to successfully face the energy crisis resulting from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, also thanks to the contribution of LNG," commented Stefano Venier, CEO of Snam. "In the coming months we will complete all the activities aimed at the commissioning of the regasification vessel in Ravenna, which will further strengthen national energy security, for the benefit of citizens and businesses".

With the entry into operation of BW Singapore, Italy's total regasification capacity will rise to 28 billion cubic metres, equivalent to the volumes imported via pipeline from Russia in 2021, before the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is increasingly strategic for the security and diversification of Italian energy supplies, currently accounting for about 25% of the country's total gas consumption. In addition to Ravenna, Snam holds significant stakes in all regulated LNG regasification terminals operating in Italy, including the Panigaglia terminal (La Spezia), operational since 1971, the Adriatic LNG terminal (Rovigo), in operation since 2009, the OLT FSRU Toscana terminal (Livorno), operational since 2013 and the FSRU Italis LNG (Piombino), operational since July 2023.