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"They want a larger commitment on our part. (They want us) to transship up to 1 billion cubic meters of gas via the terminal," Lyda Lubiene, Achemos Grupe's majority shareholder and chairwoman of the management board, told reporters after meeting with Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas on Wednesday. 

"You know that the supply of natural gas increases every year. The price is falling, and binding ourselves to such a commitment for a longer term (would be an unreasonable thing to do). All the more so because we have to wait until 2024 (to see) whether the terminal is purchased (from Hoegh LNG) or a smaller one is bought," she added.       

Lubiene said she wanted to know if the energy minister would deliver on his promise to reduce the terminal's costs for Achema by around 40 percent starting in July. 

Gintaras Balciunas, vice-chairman of the management board at Achemos Grupe, said they expected the costs for Achema to go down at least by 6 mln or 7 mln euros per year. 

Aurelija Vernickaite, an advisor to the energy minister, said all the necessary procedures were underway to cut LNG terminal costs for all natural gas consumers in mid-2019. 

She confirmed that the ministry and Achema were discussing long-term commitments, but gave no details.  

Achema Grupe's managers met with the Energy Ministry's officials several times last year in an effort to bring down Achema's LNG terminal-related costs, which now amount to around 20 mln euros per year.