Baltic States – CIS, Energy, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Gas, Legislation, Lithuania, Transport

Minister of Foreign Trade and Entrepreneurship Anne Sulling participated in the arrival ceremony of the floating LNG terminal together with the Heads of Latvian and Lithuanian Government in Klaipėda yesterday. At the ceremony, Sulling substituted Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas, who remained in Estonia due to his official duties, government communication unit reports.

Floating liquefied natural gas or LNG terminal Independence that called in Klaipėda is the first large-scale LNG terminal in the whole of the Baltic region. The ship that was manufactured by Norwegian and South-Korean companies can accommodate 170 thousand cubic metres of liquefied natural gas. It is equipped with devices that allow to convert liquid natural gas to gaseous state in the volume of 11 million cubic metres per day.

Anne Sulling said in her speech at the ceremony that the name of the terminal is very meaningful for the Baltic States.

“The word “independence”, in other words freedom, bears an enormous meaning for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania due to our recent history,” Sulling said. “The arrival of the floating terminal in Klaipėda significantly increases the energy independence of both Lithuania and the whole Baltic region.”

According to Sulling, it is in the interests of all Baltic States to develop a regional gas market. This requires finding alternative sources of gas and joining the gas market.

“Lithuania has taken a major step in carrying out this goal,” Sulling said. “The first major alternative supply source of gas for the Baltic States is now available in the form of a floating terminal. This terminal provides the Estonian gas market participants with the opportunity to buy gas under the conditions of the world market.”

Sulling emphasised the need to continue the work with the establishment of the joined gas market. In this regard, she praised the developments of creating connections between Poland and Lithuania and confirmed Estonia’s goal to construct a gas pipe between Estonia and Finland.

“The integration of the gas markets of the Baltic States and Finland creates opportunities for additional gas supply chains elsewhere in the Baltic States in addition to the floating terminal opened in Klaipėda today,” Minister of Foreign Trade and Entrepreneurship Anne Sulling said. “Therefore, the gas connection between Estonia and Finland serves as a prerequisite for the establishment of a regional LNG terminal also on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.”

President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite, Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevicius, Prime Minister of Latvia Laimdota Straujuma, Minister for EU Affairs of Norway Vidar Helgesen, and Minister of Energy and Power Development of Lithuania Rokas Masiulis also spoke at the opening ceremony of the floating LNG terminal.

Anne Sulling also participated in a working lunch, where the issues concerning the region’s energy security were discussed.