The new calendar year in Klaipėda Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal began by exceeding 200 LNG operations, counting from the beginning of the LNG terminal operation.

From December 31^st to January 1^st, the 200th loading operation was performed from a small-scale LNG carrier, and on January 2-3 the loading was performed from the LNG carrier Point Fortin, which delivered about 140 thousand. cub. m of LNG from Cameron LNG terminal, USA.

This is the first visit of the LNG carrier Point Fortin to Klaipeda port. Point Fortin, built a decade ago and is technically identical to the LNG terminal's FSRU Independence, is sailing with the Panamanian flag and visited Klaipeda port for the first time. This is already the 12^th LNG shipment from the USA and the first this year. Last year, a total of 8 LNG cargoes were delivered from the USA.

From the start of operation of the LNG terminal, a total of about 86 TWh of LNG has been handled. During this period, LNG was mostly imported from Norway (78%), about 12% - from the USA, the rest from Russia, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago. Last year alone, 72 cargo handling operations were performed at the LNG terminal, cargo from the USA accounted for about 34 percent of the total cargo structure.

"Although last year's coronavirus crisis affected many industries, the LNG sector has had the least impact compared to other energy sectors. Due to the changed supply-demand balance, last year was particularly favorable for the import of LNG from the USA to Europe. This was mainly due to the emergence of new LNG liquefaction capacity in the USA. As last year, LNG terminal customers can keep on taking advantage of LNG market fluctuations and LNG terminal flexibility. From 1^st January the new LNG terminal service tariffs have entered into force and hopefully will stimulate the interest of existing and potential terminal users in long-term contracts,” comments Mindaugas Navikas, Chief Commercial Officer of KN.

For 2021, more than 14 TWh of regasification capacity has already been booked at the LNG terminal. The Law on the LNG Terminal stipulates that the terminal will operate until at least 31^st December 2044. Regional demand for natural gas is projected to increase with the implementation of the GIPL project and the integration of the Baltic States into the single European natural gas market.
 

KN (AB Klaipėdos Nafta) from 1st of January 2021 became a member of the Lithuanian Shipowners Association (LLSA).

It is important for KN to participate in the activities of LLSA and to contribute to better and more sustainable shipping, the creation of its business environment, and the improvement of the legal regulation of the FSRU. The Law on the Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal stipulates that the LNG terminal will operate until at least 2044. KN is oblidged by 31 December 2024 to acquire the FSRU and become its operator by choosing the most economically advantageous offer.

For two consecutive years, KN (Klaipėdos nafta AB) has allocated funds to support lonely underprivileged elderly people, on behalf of the clients and partners.   

Last year, the company brought joy to 40 elderly people by delivering festive packages containing various food products and chemist’s cheques. This year, the company continued the tradition inspired by philanthropic spirit by sharing goodness in the upcoming Christmas period with one of the most sensitive social groups – lonely, underprivileged elderly people.  

Orinta Barkauskaitė, KN Head of communication, speaks about the initiative: “This year, we made another step forward by encouraging our employees to allocate personal time for a conversation. With the help of support service of the Order of Malta, we had the opportunity of applying to 54 old people living in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Kupiškis district, who needed the most additional help and attention, based on the assessment of the volunteers. We selected three geographical locations so all colleagues working in our bureaus and subsidiaries had the opportunity to be involved.”   

The team of volunteers, formed of KN employees, contacted each elderly person to learn how each of them could find joy. Then the team created the internal platform “Let’s light the smiles” to achieve these wishes, displaying short stories about the elderly people, to encourage colleagues to contribute to realizing these dreams.

Some elderly people requested better quality food, medicine, vitamins or food supplements they can’t usually afford on their pension. Others asked for various everyday necessities such as microwaves, vacuum cleaners or a torch. Some elderly people tentatively mentioned that they would most appreciate personal time and attention, or they dreamed of visiting the seaside, returning to their native city or visiting the graves of relatives. Unfortunately, this year, we could not realize any wishes related to direct contact or travelling, due to the complex pandemic situation in the country. But the employees of KN are committed to achieving these wishes on behalf of the elderly people next year, during a better time for traveling and live meetings.

The initial idea was that KN employees will be invited to grant the elderly people’s wishes, and later the remaining unrealized wishes would be realized with the company’s funds. But the involvement of KN employees exceeded all expectations, so the allocated company funds were spent by continuing the same philanthropic line – extending the Christmas joy to more lonely and underprivileged elderly people.   

O. Barkauskaitė says: “We see this project as having the added bonus of uniting the organisation, encouraging the sense of social conscience, the feeling that everyone can contribute to creating an environment that is good for everyone. At the same time, the reputation of social philanthropy is also of great value to the company.”
 
 

This year, a record number of biofuels – ethanol, fatty acid methyl ester (RRME) and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) – were handled at Klaipėda oil terminal operated by KN (AB Klaipėdos nafta). Compared to 2019, the handling of these biofuels increased 8 times. The market demand for these cargoes is increasing due to environmental requirements for the mandatory addition of bio-additives to Arctic diesel in the winter of this year.
 
Biofuels are liquid or gaseous transport fuels produced from renewable energy sources. Three types of biofuels are handled at KN Klaipėda oil terminal: ethanol (alcohol), fatty acid methyl ester (RRME), and hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). These biofuels are blended into conventional fuels (petrol and diesel) in order to reduce emissions of harmful particles from transport to the environment.
 
In 2020 (through 1-11 months), 74 thousand tons of biofuels were handled at Klaipėda Oil Terminal managed by KN, i.e. 8 times more than the previous year, with 9,345 thousand tons handled throughout 2019, a similar level to 2018, when 10.7 tons of biofuels were handled. 
 
"This year, fuel producers are required to add bio-additives to Arctic diesel without exception, therefore their handling through the KN infrastructure should continue to increase. KN’s role in this process is twofold: our customers purchase bio-additives from domestic producers, and also import from the international market via the KN terminal, reloading the pure product with further delivery by road to other terminals for further addition into the fuel. KN also provides a mixing service at the terminals operated in Klaipėda and Subačiai – thus providing customers with the entire service chain.” said Mindaugas Navikas, Chief Sales Officer of KN. 

Biofuels play a key role in achieving more sustainable road transport, by burning cleaner than conventional fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Fuel Quality Directive obliges EU Member States to require fuel suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of the transport cycle, i.e. GHG emissions per unit of energy over the life cycle. This increases the obligation to add bio-additives in conventional fuels. Currently, about 7 percent of bio-additives are added into diesel and about 10 percent are added into gasoline.