What is a methane terminal?

The gas is actually transported by ship in a liquid state, because this takes up less space than when it is a gas. A methane terminal receives the shipments of LNG from the methane tankers and recharges them. It is also equipped with cryogenic storage reservoirs to store LNG as a liquid, along with regasification units to enable it to be released into the national transport grid as a gas. Before injection into the grid, the gas is metered and odorised for safety reasons.

France currently has 4 methane terminals:

• one in Dunkirk, in the Nord department,

• one in Montoir-de-Bretagne, near to Saint-Nazaire in Loire-Atlantique,

• and two in Fos-sur-Mer, in the south.