Large-scale liquefied biogas bunkering to become possible in the Port of Gothenburg in 2027
Artist’s impression of Nordion Energi’s biogas liquefaction plant at the Port of Gothenburg. The storage tank is now in place, bringing the facility one step closer to completion. Image: Port of Gothenburg.
Construction of a biogas liquefaction plant at the Port of Gothenburg has reached an important milestone. This comes as the facility’s storage tank for LBG (liquefied biogas) has now been installed. The plant is being built and owned by Nordion Energi and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2027. It is expected to play a key role in making Swedish biogas more accessible to more sectors, not least shipping.
LBG is a renewable fuel with low climate impact that can replace fossil alternatives in several sectors. Interest in the fuel is growing rapidly, particularly in shipping.
“Shipping’s transition requires a collaborative value chain. This facility strengthens the port’s position in renewable bunker fuels and makes it possible to offer LBG to the shipping sector on a larger scale. As we see more and more vessels on order for LBG operation, we also see strong potential for increased bunkering at the Port of Gothenburg,” says Therese Jällbrink, Head of Renewable Energy at the Port of Gothenburg.
Groundworks, including foundations and base slabs, have been completed, and the LBG tank is the first of the plant’s key components to be installed. The tank arrived at the Port of Gothenburg by vessel and has a volume of 500 cubic metres. It weighs close to 140 tonnes and will be able to store up to 200 tonnes of LBG once the facility is operational.
“This is an important milestone. The facility is now really starting to take shape, and we are moving closer to our goal of being able to deliver LBG from the gas grid to shipping, heavy transport and industry,” says Carolina Wistén, Head of Customer and Market, Gas Grid, at Nordion Energi.
The liquefaction plant will be the first in Sweden to be directly connected to the west Swedish gas grid. It will also create a new market for Swedish biogas producers that are, or want to become, connected to the gas grid.
Both producers and users are already present in the port today. ST1 Biokraft has previously signed an agreement securing part of the liquefaction plant’s capacity, and several shipping companies calling at the port on a regular basis already use LBG to power their vessels.
The facility is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027 and will then be capable of delivering 250 gigawatt-hours of LBG annually, equivalent to the consumption of 500 trucks or the bunkering of 50 vessels.