Hammerfest LNG, Europe’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal, has begun its annual maintenance shutdown. The plant, located on Norway’s Melkoeya Island, was temporarily closed on Tuesday at 04:00 GMT. This maintenance, expected to last until July 10, is a routine procedure, with no reports of fires, gas leaks, or equipment malfunctions this time.
Known for its role in Europe’s gas supply, Hammerfest LNG sources gas from the offshore Snoehvit field. The terminal processes enough LNG to heat 6.5 million homes, accounting for about five percent of Norway’s total gas exports. Norway has become a key player in Europe’s energy market, particularly after Gazprom suspended its gas deliveries in 2022.
Although planned, the downtime at Hammerfest still draws attention. The plant has faced several significant issues in the past, including a blowout in 2020 that forced it offline for 18 months, gas leaks in 2023 and 2024, and a compressor failure earlier this year.
Equinor, the operator of Hammerfest, has not yet commented on the planned outage. However, its transparency filings confirm the shutdown. Co-owners Petoro, TotalEnergies, Vaar Energi, and Harbor Energy are hoping the maintenance proceeds smoothly and on schedule.
The timing of the shutdown is less critical, as winter is over and Europe’s gas storage levels are stable. However, with 6.5 billion cubic meters of gas offline, the impact is still significant. Traders, policymakers, and consumers are closely monitoring the situation, as any disruptions at Hammerfest can lead to concerns over Europe’s energy supply.
Equinor has already indicated potential production declines in its Q1 2025 results, partly due to planned maintenance and previous outages.
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