LNG Hrvatska

LNG Hrvatska, also known in English as LNG Croatia, is a Croatian energy infrastructure company responsible for the country's liquefied natural gas import and regasification terminal at Omišalj on the island of Krk. Rather than being a consumer-facing fuel brand, it is an infrastructure operator whose principal role is to receive LNG cargoes, store the liquefied gas aboard a floating storage and regasification unit, convert it back into gaseous form, and deliver it into Croatia's high-pressure gas transmission network. The idea of developing an LNG import facility in Croatia dates to 1995, when exploratory work began. A feasibility study was completed by 2008, and a location permit followed in 2010 after an environmental-impact assessment. An earlier version of the project was promoted by Adria LNG, a consortium involving E.ON Ruhrgas, Total, OMV, RWE and Geoplin, with a proposed role for Croatian partners including INA, Hrvatska elektroprivreda and Plinacro. That consortium lost momentum after RWE withdrew in 2009, and its Croatian office was closed in December 2010. The project was revived in the second half of the 2010s. In April 2016, Croatia's government announced a restart, and Belgian engineering company Tractebel completed front-end engineering and design in November 2017. The selected concept used a floating terminal rather than a fully land-based LNG facility. The project was officially inaugurated in January 2021, establishing a new import route for gas delivered by LNG carriers. The terminal is built around the FSRU vessel LNG Croatia. The ship has four LNG storage tanks with a combined capacity of 140,206 cubic metres and onboard regasification equipment. LNG is heated through a seawater-and-glycol process, converted into natural gas, and sent ashore through high-pressure unloading arms. A 4.2-kilometre connecting pipeline links the jetty with the Omišalj gas node and Croatia's transmission system. The facility can receive vessels across a broad range of sizes, from small LNG carriers to ships with capacities of approximately 265,000 cubic metres. The terminal initially had annual handling capacity of approximately 2.6 billion cubic metres of natural gas. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the wider European energy crisis gave the facility greater strategic importance. In April 2022, plans were made to raise gasification capability to approximately 338,000 cubic metres per hour, equivalent to roughly 2.9 billion cubic metres annually. On 18 August 2022, the Croatian government adopted a broader expansion decision covering both the terminal and the Zlobin–Bosiljevo gas pipeline. The resulting target was approximately 6.1 billion cubic metres of annual capacity. To support that target, LNG Hrvatska signed a contract with Wärtsilä Gas Solutions in April 2023 for an additional regasification module. The module was described as having a maximum capacity of 250,000 cubic metres of natural gas per hour and was scheduled for installation on LNG Croatia in summer 2025 after a reported production period of 22 months. The expansion is intended to make the Krk terminal a substantially larger regional entry point for LNG. LNG Hrvatska is owned by two Croatian state-owned companies: Hrvatska elektroprivreda holds 75% and gas transmission operator Plinacro holds 25%. Both are wholly owned by the Republic of Croatia. The terminal has been presented as a means of diversifying Croatia's gas supply, strengthening regional security of supply and reducing reliance on individual pipeline sources. Croatia itself has reportedly not depended on Russian gas since 2010, but the terminal gained renewed geopolitical relevance as European countries sought alternatives to Russian energy supplies.

LNG Hrvatska is the Croatian company associated with the development and operation of the floating LNG terminal at Omišalj on the island of Krk. The underlying terminal concept emerged in 1995, when exploratory work examined the possibility of establishing an LNG import facility in Croatia. A feasibility study was completed by 2008, and the project received a location permit in 2010 after an environmental-impact assessment. The first major development effort was undertaken by Adria LNG, a consortium formed by several European energy companies, including E.ON Ruhrgas, Total, OMV, RWE and Geoplin. The consortium contemplated a 25% participation by Croatian partners, with INA expected to hold 14% and Hrvatska elektroprivreda and Plinacro together expected to hold the remaining 11%. The initiative encountered difficulties when RWE withdrew in October 2009. In December 2010, the consortium closed its Croatian office, effectively ending that version of the project. The project returned to the political agenda in April 2016, when Croatia's first deputy prime minister Tomislav Karamarko announced its restart. The revived approach focused on a floating storage and regasification unit rather than the more extensive land-based concept considered earlier. Tractebel of Belgium completed front-end engineering and design on 30 November 2017. The design included the FSRU, its mooring and transfer systems, a jetty, shore connections and the pipeline needed to connect the terminal with the Croatian transmission system. The facility was officially inaugurated in January 2021. Its principal operating asset is the FSRU vessel LNG Croatia, which contains four storage tanks with total capacity of 140,206 cubic metres. The vessel is equipped with LNG loading and unloading systems, three regasification units and onboard power-generation equipment. During normal operation, LNG is converted to gas using seawater as the heat source, with glycol serving as an intermediate heat-transfer medium. The resulting natural gas is transferred through high-pressure unloading arms and a 4.2-kilometre connecting pipeline to the Omišalj gas node. The terminal's initial annual handling capacity was approximately 2.6 billion cubic metres. Its infrastructure includes a jetty head, berthing and mooring dolphins, quick-release hooks, an access bridge, transfer arms, a pig-launching station, firefighting equipment and a control building. The jetty can support the FSRU and facilitate side-by-side transfer from LNG carriers. The terminal is designed to accommodate LNG vessels ranging from approximately 3,500 to 265,000 cubic metres. The energy crisis that intensified in 2021 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 changed the strategic context of the terminal. Croatia and European institutions placed greater emphasis on LNG import capacity, supply diversification and reducing exposure to Russian pipeline gas. In April 2022, plans were announced to increase gasification capability to approximately 338,000 cubic metres per hour, corresponding to roughly 2.9 billion cubic metres per year. On 18 August 2022, Croatia adopted a further expansion decision covering the terminal and the Zlobin–Bosiljevo pipeline, with a long-term terminal capacity target of approximately 6.1 billion cubic metres annually. On 14 April 2023, LNG Hrvatska and Wärtsilä Gas Solutions concluded a contract for an additional regasification module. The module was described as having a maximum capacity of 250,000 cubic metres of natural gas per hour. Production was expected to take 22 months, with installation on LNG Croatia planned for summer 2025. The expansion would position the terminal as a significantly larger gas-entry point for Croatia and neighbouring Southeast European markets. LNG Hrvatska's ownership structure reflects the strategic nature of the project. Hrvatska elektroprivreda owns 75% and Plinacro owns 25%; both companies are wholly owned by the Republic of Croatia. The company's managing director has been Ivan Fugaš since 1 June 2023. Through the Krk terminal, LNG Hrvatska supports Croatia's domestic gas system while also contributing to broader regional supply diversification.

• 2023

  Additional regasification module contracted

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  LNG Hrvatska contracted Wärtsilä Gas Solutions to supply an additional regasification module for the terminal expansion.

• 2022

  Capacity expansion strategy adopted

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  Croatia advanced plans to expand the terminal and the Zlobin–Bosiljevo pipeline to support approximately 6.1 billion cubic metres of annual terminal capacity.

• 2021

  Krk terminal inaugurated

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  The Omišalj floating LNG terminal was officially inaugurated.

• 2017

  Floating-terminal design completed

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  Tractebel completed front-end engineering and design for the floating LNG terminal concept.

• 2016

  Project restart announced

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  Croatia announced that development of the LNG project would resume.

• 2010

  Location permit issued

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  The project received a location permit after an environmental-impact assessment.

• 2010

  Original Adria LNG initiative ends

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  After RWE withdrew in 2009, the Adria LNG consortium closed its Croatian office in December 2010.

• 2008

  Feasibility study completed

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  A feasibility study for the proposed Croatian LNG project was completed.

• 1995

  Initial LNG project exploration

  [1]LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org

  Early exploratory work began on the possibility of developing an LNG import facility in Croatia.

Strategic Croatian and regional LNG infrastructure focused on supply diversification, gas-import flexibility and energy-security resilience.

• LNG import and regasification infrastructure · 2021

  Omišalj floating LNG terminal

  The Omišalj terminal on Krk receives LNG carriers, transfers LNG to the FSRU LNG Croatia, regasifies the fuel and sends natural gas into Croatia's high-pressure transmission network. Its infrastructure includes the jetty, berthing and mooring systems, transfer arms, shore pipeline, control facilities and safety systems. The terminal initially handled approximately 2.6 billion cubic metres of gas annually, with expansion plans targeting approximately 6.1 billion cubic metres.

• Floating storage and regasification unit · 2021

  LNG Croatia FSRU

  LNG Croatia is the floating storage and regasification vessel at the centre of the Krk terminal. It has four LNG storage tanks with combined capacity of 140,206 cubic metres, LNG loading and unloading equipment, three regasification units and onboard power generation. The vessel converts LNG to natural gas through a seawater and glycol heat-transfer process before sending the gas ashore through high-pressure transfer equipment.

• Regasification capacity expansion · 2025

  Terminal expansion module

  The additional regasification module contracted from Wärtsilä Gas Solutions is intended to increase the terminal's hourly gasification capability and support the planned annual capacity of approximately 6.1 billion cubic metres. The module was expected to be manufactured over 22 months and installed on the FSRU in summer 2025.

• 2023

  Additional regasification module orderedOther

  Background

  The planned expansion required additional onboard gasification capability at the floating terminal.

  Action taken

  LNG Hrvatska signed a contract with Wärtsilä Gas Solutions on 14 April 2023 for an additional module rated at up to 250,000 cubic metres of natural gas per hour.

  Aftermath

  The module was scheduled for production over 22 months and installation on LNG Croatia in summer 2025, supporting the approximately 6.1-billion-cubic-metre annual target.

  Contract value. EUR 22.97 million (Contract signed 14 April 2023)

  Source

• 2022

  Expansion of terminal and connecting pipelineStrategy

  Background

  The European energy crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine increased the strategic importance of non-Russian gas-import routes.

  Action taken

  On 18 August 2022, the Croatian government decided to expand the LNG terminal and the Zlobin–Bosiljevo gas pipeline, targeting terminal capacity of approximately 6.1 billion cubic metres per year.

  Aftermath

  The decision led to additional terminal engineering and procurement, including the regasification-module contract with Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.

  Planned combined investment for terminal and Zlobin–Bosiljevo pipeline expansion. EUR 180 million total: EUR 25 million for the terminal and EUR 155 million for the pipeline (2022 expansion decision)

  Source

• 2016

  Restart of the Krk LNG projectStrategy

  Background

  The earlier Adria LNG consortium project had ended after the withdrawal of a partner and closure of the Croatian project office.

  Action taken

  Croatia announced that development would resume, eventually leading to the floating-terminal model operated by LNG Hrvatska.

  Aftermath

  The restarted project progressed through engineering, construction and inauguration of the Krk terminal in 2021.

  Source

1. 1LNG Hrvatskaen.wikipedia.org