Equinor has again delayed the start-up of the Hammerfest LNG export project at Melkøya in Norway after a fault with a compressor was discovered.

The company said that extensive repairs at Melkøya had been completed, but that the final run-up of the plant was taking somewhat longer than planned.

The company had found a minor fault on a compressor that must be rectified prior to start-up. The component is now being replaced, and the stepwise process towards operations is expected to take up to a week.

The delay is just the latest of many, with the plant having been closed since a fire in September 2020.

"Hammerfest LNG has been prepared for production, but we are taking the extra time necessary to safely resume operations," said Grete B. Haaland, Equinor's senior vice president for onshore facilities.

Equinor said in January that the start-up of Hammerfest LNG had been scheduled for 17 May, 2022. After an extensive repair and improvement work period, the plant has been prepared for ramp-up.

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