Elengy (a subsidiary of GRTgaz within the ENGIE Group) has, for the first time in France, provided multimodal transport of an ISO-container loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Elengy’s terminal in Fos Cavaou. It was carried by rail from the Miramas platform in the South of France and delivered to a service station near Milan, in Italy. Multimodal transport includes movements of the cargo by water, road and rail. Cryiogenic ISO containers offer the ideal solution for handling this type of cargo safely and economically.
This type of transport offers several benefits : it allows large volumes of LNG to be transported, it reduces the cost of transport and it facilitates access to LNG in certain regions, while significantly reducing the polluting emissions associated to its transport.
Carried out in partnership with Total and with the support of the Région Sud and the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille, this first loading operation of an ISO-container transported by rail made it possible to validate the entire logistics chain. Elengy is thus accelerating the transformation of its LNG terminals into multimodal hubs to offer even greater flexibility to the market and facilitate access to liquefied natural gas.
This test illustrates Elengy's commitment to developing the use of LNG as fuel, an essential solution for decarbonising heavy mobility. After the LNG truck loading service opened in 2013 and the bunkering loading service, the teams are innovating once again with the implementation of a rail connection, which positions Elengy’s LNG terminals as true multimodal hubs with infrastructures at the heart of the development of LNG mobility.
For Sandra Roche-Vu Quang, Elengy's Chief Executive Officer:"this success paves the way for the development of LNG transport logistics chains by rail to serve regions in France that are far from our terminals as well as other neighbouring countries".
"In 2017, with our regional Climate Plan, we made a commitment to take concrete actions to develop ecomobility for the well-being of the inhabitants of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Four years later, it is a great pleasure to see that our region is hosting this exceptional innovation. Through this process, which allows for better LNG transport in France and Europe, Elengy is contributing to the democratisation of this low-polluting fuel. Together, let's continue to make the Southern Region the region with "a COP ahead"." Renaud Muselier, President of the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, President of Régions de France.
"This test gives Total the opportunity to participate in the development of a new LNG supply chain for Northern Italy, a region where demand is growing strongly and where we are leader in supply, from the Fos Cavaou terminal," said Thomas Maurisse, Senior Vice President LNG at Total. "Using transport by rail will reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the delivery of LNG and will contribute to our ambition to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.”
For Hervé Martel, CEO of the Port of Marseille Fos: "innovation and cooperation are core values of the Port of Marseille Fos. The use of LNG and massified modal transfer serve the Port's objective of environmental excellence. This operation, successfully carried out by Elengy, is therefore emblematic of the strategy we are pursuing."