E.ON has made significant progress in supplying Germany and Europe with liquefied natural gas (LNG). The newly commissioned Gate terminal in Rotterdam provides E.ON Ruhrgas with some three billion cubic metres of annual LNG regasification capacity. This quantity allows over 1.5 million single-family homes to be supplied for a whole year. E.ON Ruhrgas also holds a five per cent stake in the terminal operating company. Gate terminal is a joint venture of two Dutch companies, N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and Royal Vopak.

In addition to this E.ON Benelux will take responsibility for the electricity supply to Gate Terminal which can also pump water from the E.ON Maasvlakte Power Plants sea water cooling outfall basin for use in its gasification process.

Commercial operation of the LNG terminal "Gas Access to Europe" (Gate) in Rotterdam started today. The terminal’s total annual throughput capacity is 12 billion cubic metres of natural gas. This corresponds to more than 130 large LNG tankers that can dock there every year to provide north-western Europe with gas.

"The Gate terminal will be our gate for supplying the north-west European market with LNG," said Hans-Peter Floren, member of the E.ON Ruhrgas Board of Management. "The official commissioning of Gate is a major step in our efforts to build a regasification portfolio across Europe and ensure that LNG has access to all E.ON markets."

"Cost efficiency and a favourable geographical location for the markets in north western Europe speak in favour of Gate terminal", he added. "Our customers will benefit from this. E.ON Ruhrgas plans a substantial expansion of its LNG procurement activities in the short, medium and long term."

LNG will play an increasingly important part in Europe’s supplies. Its share in EU27 gas supplies is expected to rise from about ten per cent at present to no less than 18 per cent in 2020.

The company is in a good starting position. E.ON Ruhrgas is involved in regas terminals across Europe and has booked capacities at the Isle of Grain terminal (UK) and at Gate terminal (NL). E.ON España has further regas capacities in Barcelona and Huelva in Spain. The OLT (Offshore LNG Toscana) terminal currently under construction will give LNG access to the Italian market.

E.ON Ruhrgas
Within the E.ON Group, E.ON Ruhrgas AG is responsible for gas procurement and gas production, as well as for project and product development in the fields of storage, gas transmission, LNG and technical support for plants. Research and development activities drive the efficient use of natural gas forward, opening up new possibilities of energy storage and intelligent network technology.

E.ON Benelux
E.ON Benelux produces and supplies electricity, heat and gas to both private customers and the business market. The company has an installed generating capacity of approx. 1,910 MW in the Netherlands. Its power plants are located in the Province of Zuid-Holland, the economic heart of the Netherlands. E.ON Benelux also has power plants in Belgium, with an installed generating capacity of approx. 940 MW, namely in Vilvoorde (Brussels) and in Langerlo (Genk).