New Sines terminal could be built in a year
Agreement to buy gas from the US by the European Union may lead to the construction of a new terminal in Sines.
With the new agreement between the European Union (EU) and the US, the Sines terminal becomes an option to be able to serve as a gateway for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe. In an interview with Jornal de Negócios, the president of the Sines and Algarve Ports Administration (APS) said that the port of Sines has “capacity to double, creating a new terminal” to receive North American gas.
This construction, according to José Luís Cacho, would take “between one and two years” and the costs would be “tens of millions of euros”. “Sines currently has three tanks and would have to double this installation,” he said, adding that the possibility is being discussed among EU member states.
The president of APS also pointed out that the investment would go ahead if the Pyrenees gas pipeline was built, as Sines supplies the national market with around 80% of the natural gas consumed in the country. Therefore, no changes are expected to the strategic plan for the port of Sines. “The strategic plan provides that if there is a need to increase capacity, we can double what we do,” he stresses.
