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Spain's Gas Natural Fenosa has launched what it describes as the world's first universal floating LNG transfer system.

The new technology, named DirectLink LNG, consists of a platform with a connection system said to be compatible with any type of methane tanker. Once connected to the ship, the LNG is then transferred to land via floating cryogenic hoses.

The system was designed and manufactured in just six months in collaboration with Norwegian tech firm Connect LNG. It was developed in Brevik, Norway, and then towed to the port of Heroya - where the first LNG transfer was carried out.

According to Fenosa, the first unloading operation was performed "with absolute success", demonstrating "functionality, versatility and quick commissioning".

Both the connection system and the floating cryogenic hoses represent "two milestones that highlight the innovative aspect of the platform", Fenosa said.

The system enables LNG to be unloaded from a ship to land without the need for expensive fixed infrastructure. It is also designed to meet the needs of companies that require natural gas in locations where it is currently not economically or environmentally viable, and does not require any type of modification to existing LNG tankers.

Fenosa expects the new system to drive the rapid development of the small- and medium-scale LNG sectors.

Jose Miguel Moreno Blanes, Project Director at Gas Natural Fenosa, remarked: "We started with an innovative idea, and turned it into a reality in record time. Today, it is a unique solution that will allow us to revolutionize the market of small- and medium-scale liquefied natural gas in the coming years, and on a global scale - an integral solution driven exclusively by Gas Natural Fenosa with a host of possibilities."

"The floating system, in combination with the infrastructures on the ground (which complete the DirectLink LNG solution), is a flexible, scalable solution that will meet the present and future demands of customers," Fenosa added.