Norway’s Gassco has informed that a new facility in Germany for receiving gas exports from Norway was officially inaugurated in Emden, Germany on Tuesday, May 24, 2016.

This facility replaces the existing Norsea Gas Terminal (NGT) which became operational in 1977 in connection with the development of ConocoPhillips-operated Ekofisk field located in the North Sea, offshore Norway.

Gassco stated that, while the project has not increased export capacity for Norwegian gas, the new terminal’s functionality would be well tailored to meet future demand for processing gas from the Ekofisk area and other parts of the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).

The inauguration ceremony was performed by Elisabeth Aspaker, Norway’s minister for EEA and EU affairs, with representatives of the German federal and Lower Saxony state governments.

“This is an important milestone in a very good and long-term energy collaboration between Norway and Germany,” says Frode Leversund, CEO of Gassco.

“The new terminal ensures gas supplies to Germany for many decades to come and strengthens Norway’s role as a key energy supplier to the European market.”

It receives a substantial proportion of the Norwegian gas delivered to Germany through the Norpipe pipeline. “Construction of the new Emden terminal has been one of the most important assignments we at Gassco have ever undertaken as operator,” observes Leversund.

The Gassled joint venture took the investment decision in the autumn of 2012. The new terminal has been constructed on an unused part of the existing terminal site. Physical work began in the autumn of 2013 after the contract to build the facility had been awarded to Linde Engineering Dresden GmbH.