LNG Activities Resume At Dunkirk Terminal In France

PARIS,(Reuters) – Disruption at Fluxys’s FLUX.BR liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Dunkirk, northern France, ended on Friday morning, a company spokesperson said, with shipping data showing a tanker carrying LNG from Russia had docked at the site.

Operations at the terminal have been disrupted since March 6 by strike action against the French government’s planned pension changes, which President Emmanuel Macron pushed through without a parliamentary vote on Thursday, causing unrest overnight.

Refinitiv data showed the ship Fedor Litke, carrying 160,000 billion cubic metres (bcm) of LNG from Yamal, Russia, had arrived at the terminal, the first since the strike began.

“We have resumed our activities,” a Fluxys spokesperson said.

A union official said the morning shift decided to follow the initial decision to reopen the terminal. The official added that a new general assembly, where members will vote on further disruptions, is expected early next week. 

The official had said on Thursday evening that the action was expected to continue until Monday.

No ships have yet been seen docking at the three other French LNG terminals operated by Engie ENGIE.PA subsidiary Elengy, a Refinitiv analyst said.

A spokesperson for Elengy said the situation was unchanged at its sites, which are expected to reamin blocked until March 21.

A general assembly is also expected on next Tuesday, which will vote on whether the disruptions continue.

(Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.

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