TRADER II

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

First LNG cargo for Rotterdam

The "British Trader" on June 13, 2011, will be the first LNG tanker to arrive at Rotterdam - coming from Trinidad an Tobago - for the first time. It will berth between 00:00 and 04:00 a.m. with a full load of about 180,000 cubic meters of natural gas which will be unloaded at the jetty at the entrance gate of the Maasvlakte which is the first cargo delivered at the new terminal, which is owned by a joint venture of Vopak and Gasunie. The storage part of the import terminal has already been cooled with liquid nitrogen (minus 195 degrees) and will be pumped out during the unloading of the LNG. The "British Trader" will be accompanied by four tugs, two patrol boats of the Port Authority and will have two pilots on board. This applies also for all future LNG tankers in Rotterdam. The next ship is expected in September, when the gate terminal officialy goes into service. The Port Authority expects that in a few years, when the terminal is fully operational, an average of one LNG tanker per day will arrive. The tankers will make a sort of U-turn on the Caland Canal and the Beerkanaal so they can always leave stern ahead and there is no need to sail in a backward position. The U-turn is also used for ships to reduce speed.