The extensive repairs at Melkøya have been completed, but the run-up of the plant takes somewhat longer than planned.

During the weekend, a minor fault was discovered on a compressor that needs to be rectified prior to start-up. The component is now being replaced, and the stepwise process towards operations continues through the week.

“Hammerfest LNG has been prepared for production, but we are taking the extra time necessary to safely resume operations,” says Grete B. Haaland, Equinor’s senior vice president for onshore facilities.

Equinor announced on behalf of the partnership in January that the start-up of Hammerfest LNG had been scheduled for 17 May 2022. After an extensive repair and improvement work period, the plant has been prepared for ramp-up.

The partnership includes Equinor Energy AS, Petoro AS, TotalEnergies EP Norway AS, Neptune Energy Norway AS, Wintershall Dea Norway AS. Equinor is the operator of Hammerfest LNG.
Source: Equinor