State-owned LNG Croatia has selected Golar Power, a joint venture between Golar LNG and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners,  to deliver a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for the nation's first liquefied natural gas import facility.

Golar Power was picked from three bidders, including Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Maran Gas Maritime Inc, LNG Croatia, the company behind the project, LNG Croatia said in a statement.

"After reviewing and evaluating the bids, the committee for opening, review, evaluation of the bids and the selection of the most advantageous bidder determined that the bid from Golar Power Limited was fully in line with the requirements of the tender documentation and according to the criterion of choosing the most economically advantageous bid, the bid was ranked with highest score," it said.

LNG Croatia LLC has opted for Golar Power's offer, which includes a new conversion of the existing 2005-built LNG carrier Golar Viking to an FSRU which value is EUR 159.6 million.

Depending on the outcome of the Open Season procedure (obligatory capacity booking), which will close on December 20, 2018 and adoption of a positive investment decision, delivery window for the FSRU will be in the period from September 30, 2020 to October 30, 2020, in order for the LNG terminal to be fully operational by January 1, 2021.

The selected FSRU vessel has LNG storage capacity of 140,000 m3, with a nominal LNG regasification capacity of 300,000 m3 of natural gas per hour, giving a yearly capacity of 2.6 billion m3 of gas, which is in accordance with the technical capacity of the gas transmission system of the Republic of Croatia.

Offered technical solution for LNG regasification will work in the open loop system in such a way that during the intake and discharge of sea water the FSRU will not use electro-chlorination for the purpose of preventing marine growth in the system, since it will work on the principle of mechanical cleaning of the entire system as part of regular annual maintenance of the FSRU.