EmiratesLNG has announced that it plans to build and operate the Middle East’s first land-based LNG re-gasification facility in the UAE’s Port of Fujairah.

The terminal, a key part of the UAE’s energy diversification strategy to meet the country’s future energy demands, will boast an average throughput capacity of 1.2 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day, or nine million tonnes of LNG each year. The state-of-the-art facility will also be able to accommodate the world’s largest LNG carriers.

“EmiratesLNG will seize this opportunity to establish itself as a key player in the Middle East within the global LNG market,” declared EmiratesLNG CEO, Ahmed Matar Al Mazrouei.

“The establishment of EmiratesLNG and its operation in the years to come is a significant contribution to the delivery of sustainable, secure, clean gas, helping ensure a prosperous future for the UAE.”

EmiratesLNG will work with a number of contractors and consultants specialising in the development of LNG, including KOGAS, Poten & Partners and Technip, to help realise the project, which is still subject to approval from the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

EmiratesLNG is a joint venture between International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and Mubadala Petroleum.