Croatia preps for first U.S. LNG cargo, reducing Russian dependence

(Bloomberg) –Croatia will receive the first liquefied natural gas cargo from the U.S. at its new import terminal, easing its dependence on fuel from Russia

The LNG vessel Tristar Ruby, which loaded at the Cove Point plant in Maryland, is headed for Croatia’s terminal on the Adriatic island of Krk, according to ship-tracking data on Bloomberg. The ship is scheduled to arrive on Jan. 1, the expected start date of the terminal.

Hrvoje Krhen, managing director of LNG Croatia LLC, confirmed that the Tristar Ruby will deliver the new terminal’s first cargo and is set to arrive on Jan. 1.

A commissioning cargo on board the floating storage and regasification vessel LNG Croatia FSRU arrived from Sagunto, Spain, on Dec. 1. The vessel is in place and will be used as the import facility, part of a trend toward nations using floating solutions for a quicker and cheaper way to enter the LNG business.

The import terminal isn’t expected to result in any long-term contracts with U.S. exporters but it will be a destination for spot cargoes, said Fred Hutchison, president of LNG Allies, a Washington-based trade group.

“The new terminal in Croatia, combined with those in Lithuania and Poland, constitute the new anchor points of a new north-south corridor which brings much greater gas diversity and competition to Central and Eastern Europe,” he said.

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