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VTTI to manage Italy's biggest LNG terminal, Snam to get 30%.

Energy storage group VTTI will get a 70% stake in Italy's biggest melted natural gas ( LNG) terminal, with grid operator Snam owning the rest, the Milanlisted group stated late on Wednesday, announcing an offer to be finalised by yearend.

Snam, which is controlled by the Italian federal government, stated in a statement it had actually exercised its pre-emption right to up its stake in the terminal called Adriatic LNG to 30% from 7.3%.

The relocation comes after ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy last week accepted offer their stakes in the terminal to a consortium led by Dutch group VTTI.

This deal remains in line with and advances our method to diversify our portfolio and participate in more transitional and tidy energy facilities, VTTI Head of Communications Julie Lenzner stated in an e-mail on Thursday.

Adriatic LNG will be the very first functional LNG property in the portfolio of the Dutch group, whose shareholders consist of worldwide commodity trader Vitol, Australian financial investment manager IFM and Abu Dhabi National Oil Business (ADNOC).

This operation reinforces Snam's presence in LNG infrastructure, which is significantly tactical for the security and diversity of Italy's energy supplies, Snam CEO Stefano Venier stated, including the group would support the terminal's growth tasks.

Snam did not give monetary information for the offer. Sources had previously said the deal would value the entire terminal around 800 million euros ($ 866 million) including debt.

CHANGING RUSSIAN GAS

The terminal is about 9 miles (15 km) off the Veneto shoreline and has a regasification capability of 9 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually.

Europe has actually increased LNG imports after Russia's intrusion of Ukraine in 2022 considerably cut gas coming through pipelines.

Snam holds stakes in all the staying LNG terminals presently operating in Italy for an overall regasification capability of about 23 bcm.

The group will set up an extra drifting LNG terminal offshore the city of Ravenna at the beginning of next year, increasing Italy's regasification capability to 28 bcm, equivalent to the gas Italy used to import from Russia via pipeline.

The closing of the deal undergoes regulative authorisations.

Previously this year, Vitol likewise struck a deal with Italy's. Moratti family to purchase Italian oil refiner Saras.