Argus News & analysis Brazil's Nimofast advances small-scale LNG project
Updated: Sep 27, 2022
Argus News & analysis
Brazil's Nimofast advances small-scale LNG project
20 Sep 22, 19:46 - Natural gas LNG Corporate Investment and Financing Infrastructure Plant construction
Sao Paulo, 20 September (Argus) — Brazilian energy trading firm Nimofast is installing an LNG import terminal in Parana state's Antonina port to supply south-central Brazil.
In the first phase of the project, the company will import LNG via the dedicated jetty, where it will be off-loaded by a cryogenic pipeline to the LNG storage tanks and truck loading station. The product will be distributed by LNG truck and containers to end-users, where it will be regasified on site.
The project has received a preliminary environmental permit to install the import terminal which will have a floating LNG storage unit (FSU).
Initially, the terminal will have capacity to distribute the equivalent of 2mn m³/d of natural gas with plans to increase volumes to 6mn m³/d in two to three years. The company expects to receive one LNG shipment every 15-20 days.
"We are focusing on small-scale LNG, because of strong potential demand in southeastern and southern Brazil," the chief executive of Nimofast, Ramon Reis, told Argus. Local gas distribution companies' pipelines are limited and most potential customers are not connected to the distribution network, so they cannot purchase gas, he said.
The terminal is expected to begin operating in 2025 and will require initial investments of $75mn. The LNG will be marketed to industries in southern Brazil that rely on coal, diesel, LPG and fuel oil to power operations, like pulp and paper companies, ceramics factories and thermoelectric plants, Reis said.
"Many companies are looking for a low-carbon alternative to replace more polluting fuels, like coal," he said, adding that consumers do not have gas supplies.
Gas trader Migratio Gas will purchase roughly 1mn m³/d of natural gas from Nimofast starting in 2025.
In a second phase, the import terminal will be expanded and connected to Parana state gas distributor Compagas' network. The company is in the process of renewing its concession contract, which prohibits it from signing long-term contracts.
Once it is renewed, Nimofast expects to sign long-term supply contracts with Compagas. The company then plans to connect the terminal to Compagas' distribution network, which is 2km (1.2 mile) from the port.
As demand increases, Nimofast expects to connect its LNG distribution center in Araucaria city to the TBG gas distribution pipeline. The LNG will initially be trucked roughly 100km from the port to Araucaria, then regasified and injected to the pipeline for sale across south-central Brazil. In the future, TBG could build a pipeline between the port in Antonina and Araucaria if there is sufficient demand.
Reis considers the construction of other LNG terminals in southern and southeastern Brazil as a positive development, as it will increase gas supply in the region and allow more reliable LNG supply for consumers. The Nimofast terminal will be equipped to ship LNG to other ports along the coast, expanding its potential clients.
The chief executive said that without reliable gas supplies, industries in south-central Brazil could opt to relocate to other parts of the country in the future, including northern Brazil.
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