A large LNG terminal does not by itself give a plant far from the pipeline a steady supply. Between the jetty and the burner sits a chain of decisions: which equipment, how the route is organised, where the buffer is, how regasification and dispatch are run.
The terminal handles supply; logistics handles rhythm
LNG leaves the terminal in cryogenic road tankers or ISO tanks. From that point the problem is no longer just freight cost. A late trip can push the tank below its operating threshold; an early one may find no safe place to wait. The plant's consumption rhythm and the equipment turnaround rhythm have to be designed together.
Hoa Tieu Logistics' view of Cai Mep points to the gap between import capacity and the LNG that actually reaches industrial customers. For an operator, that gap is measured in transit hours, receiving windows, buffer capacity and back-up options.
Four things to fix first
- Consumption load: not just tonnes per month but an hourly and daily profile.
- Operating route: real driving time, weight limits and safe stopping points.
- On-site storage: enough to absorb swings without leaving equipment idle too long.
- Regasification interface: pressure, flow, temperature and interlock logic with the plant.
Do not start from the number of tanks
Tank count is an output of the operating model, not an input. Start with peak load, base load, distance, loading and unloading time and the reserve you want. Once these five are clear, the engineers can work out the swap cycle and the right configuration.
If one trip is 12 hours late, does the plant still have enough energy to run? If you cannot answer, the plan is not finished.