Waiting for the regasification ship Golar Tundra arriving by tonight in Piombino

Snam's Golar Tundra regasification ship, which departed on 21 February from the port of Singapore, is now arriving in the port of Piombino (Livorno), its final destination. Reached the stretch of Tyrrhenian Sea in front of the coasts of Tuscany, sail beyond the island of Giglio and the island of Montecristo. The route points to the Gulf of Follonica, where there is the port of arrival. According to the order of the port authority of Piombino, the entry maneuvers of the FSRU (Floating Storage and Regasification Unit) in the port must be carried out only at night and can start only at least 30 minutes after the departure of the last evening ferry and at least 120 minutes before (two hours) of the first morning departure of a ferry ship.

If the ship Golar Tundra were to anticipate the arrival with respect to these prescriptions, it cannot immediately enter the port and must wait at anchor at anchor at a point predetermined by the same captaincy. Moreover, among the various measures ordered by the captaincy, no nautical vehicle can approach less than 300 meters from the Golar Tundra both when it should remain some time at anchor in the roadstead, and during the entrance and mooring maneuvers.

The Golar Tundra is about 300 meters long and after taking two port pilots on board offshore will be guided by at least 4 tugs in port, where rotation maneuvers are planned for the correct flanking on the quay. To carry out these operations it is necessary to avoid any type of movement or naval or nautical encumbrance within the port.

So far 70 demonstrations in Piombino against the Golar Tundra

There were protests for the arrival of the regasification ship this morning in Piombino. A flash mob involved about fifty people who marched from the railway station to the maritime station, just over a kilometer of road, to reiterate their opposition to the regasification plant. Over the months there have been dozens of public demonstrations, with parades, rallies, sit-ins, about seventy with this one this morning according to some estimates collected in Piombino.

In view of the arrival of the ship for tonight, the prefecture of Livorno has coordinated a series of law enforcement services for which police patrols and carabinieri are carrying out surveillance both at the entrance of the town, and on the avenue leading to the port, but at the moment there is no effect of an armored city. You can see arriving in the town only a few police and carabinieri cars with the siren lights on. The port is accessible for maritime traffic, especially passengers. It is not reachable, however, also for safety reasons, the quay where the Golar Tundra will be moored, a pier that is however located on the opposite side of the maritime station, in a port area adjacent to large steel mills and other industries.

From the town of Piombino the arrival off the ship can be observed, if there is no haze, from Piazza Bovio, a natural promontory on the sea just out of the historic center and also on the panoramic road that rejoins it to the area of sports facilities. This morning the incoming and outgoing ferries on their routes were visible.

The FSRU Golar Tundra, purchased by Snam in Singapore and flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, is a regasification ship about 292.5 meters long, about 43.4 meters wide and about 55 meters high (maximum height from the keel to the highest point). According to Snam data, the ship is equipped with four LNG storage tanks, located in the central part of the hull, has the regasification system in the bow, while the accommodations for the crew quarters, for the centralized control room and for the service machinery are located at the stern. Built in 2015, the ship has a storage capacity of about 170,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas and a continuous regasification capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year.

The Golar Tundra - which should be operational in May - and the BMW Singapore, the other FSRU ship that will instead be located in Ravenna, will contribute to 13% of the national energy needs. Snam acquired Golar Tundra in June 2022 from Golar LNG Limited for a consideration of 350 million dollars (about 330 million euros) to promote greater energy security and diversification of Italy's supplies.

The Golar Tundra can operate both as an LNG carrier for the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and as FSRU; in Piombino it will act as a regasification terminal and will be supplied at regular intervals by LNG carriers. Each LNG carrier transports the LNG at a temperature of -160 ° C, transfers the liquefied natural gas into the terminal tanks. This process takes place through unloading arms installed on the Golar Tundra which stretch and hook to the flanges of the LNG LNG carrier; at that point the LNG is poured into the tanks and stored. Subsequently, it is regasified.