Ivory Coast finally gets floating LNG terminal after decade of delays
Exmar secures 10-year deal to deploy a 152,000 cu m FSRU at Abidjan port, reviving stalled plans for gas imports
Ivory Coast has taken a decisive step toward securing its energy future by finalizing a 10-year agreement with Belgian gas infrastructure company Exmar to deploy a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at the Port of Abidjan. The deal, signed with state-owned firms CI-Energies and Petroci, revives a project that has faced repeated delays since its inception nearly a decade ago.
The 152,000 cubic metre FSRU will provide Ivory Coast with its first floating LNG import terminal, addressing persistent shortages of natural gas that have hampered the country’s electricity generation. Domestic gas supplies have struggled to meet demand, making imported LNG a critical component of the national energy strategy.
The project’s origins trace back to early 2016, when the Ivorian government approved the PACI-GNL initiative to tackle what officials described as a growing gas deficit in the power sector. Petroci and CI-Energies were assigned to establish a joint venture with private investors to develop the necessary infrastructure, including the FSRU and associated pipelines.
Natural Gas
Later that year, a consortium led by Total—holding a 34% stake—committed to building a 3 million-tonne-per-annum facility at Vridi, with an initial target of mid-2018. However, the project never progressed beyond planning stages, leaving Ivory Coast’s LNG ambitions unrealized until now.
Despite the earlier setback, the FSRU concept remained a priority in the country’s energy roadmap, resurfacing in the government’s 2026-2030 pipeline of public-private partnership projects.
Exmar strengthens its global LNG infrastructure portfolio: Ivory Coast
The Abidjan contract marks the latest expansion of Exmar’s floating LNG operations, which have grown rapidly in recent years. The company is currently converting a 162,000 cubic metre LNG carrier into an FSRU to extend the Eemshaven LNG terminal in the Netherlands. The new unit will operate from 2028 through 2036, building on Exmar’s existing presence at the Dutch facility since 2022.
In Latin America, Exmar is preparing the 146,000 cubic metre Tura for deployment as a floating storage unit at Colombia’s Buenaventura LNG import project. The vessel is expected to begin commercial operations later this year under a five-year lease. Additionally, the company’s Excalibur serves as a floating storage unit (FSU) under a 10-year agreement with Eni Congo. In August, Exmar acquired the 146,000 cubic metre Simaisma to convert it into a floating LNG transshipment unit, backed by a seven-year charter.
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