Dutch gas network operator Gasunie and tank storage service provider Vopak will expand their Gate liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Rotterdam to help increase the use of LNG as a transport fuel, the two companies said on Thursday. Gate receives, stores, regasifies and delivers LNG into northwest Europe’s grid. It is also a hub from where LNG can be re-exported to other parts of Europe and the world. Over the coming years, the use of LNG as a fuel in transport such as ferries and heavy trucks is expected to grow due to more stringent environmental regulations but currently a lack of infrastructure is hindering development. Gate terminal will have break-bulk infrastructure and services added, which will help split up large LNG shipments into smaller quantities. This will enable LNG to be distributed as a fuel for maritime vessels, ferries, trucks and industrial applications, the firms said. Construction will start this year and new services will be operational in the first half of 2016. Royal Dutch Shell is developing LNG for use as a transport fuel and will be one of the first customers to benefit from Gate’s expansion, Gasunie and Vopak said. The new facilities will enable Shell to supply LNG to bunker stations in Scandinavia and the Baltics, as well as Germany.