The first giant tanker carrying super- cooled gas from the Middle East to one of two new terminals in Pembrokeshire is expected to dock later.

Once fully operational, the liquefied natural gas plants at Milford Haven will be capable of meeting up to 25% of the UK's current gas requirements.

The Tembek will be met by protesters who have fought the £13bn projects on safety and environmental grounds.

Milford Haven Port Authority said it could handle LNG shipping safely.

The tanker, which has sailed from Qatar, is moored off Pembrokeshire waiting for the tide to allow it to berth at the newly built South Hook deep water terminal.

The largest LNG plant in Europe, it is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and Total.

LNG is natural gas which has been converted to a liquid by cooling it to a temperature of -160°C.

In its liquid form, it occupies about 600 times less space than as a gas, making it easier and more cost-effective to transport.

It will be turned back into gas at the terminals and pumped into the UK network along a specially constructed pipeline running from Milford to Gloucestershire.

South Hook is the larger of two terminals built at the port.

The other, Dragon LNG, a partnership between Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas, BG and the Netherland's 4Gas, is expected to become operational later in the year.

The companies say LNG imports will increase the UK's security and diversity of gas supply while helping to ensure that natural gas remains a competitive source of energy.See LNG's route to Wales

The plants have been opposed by campaigners since they were first announced six years ago.

Gordon Main, founder of Safe Haven, said there were concerns that sufficient risk assessments had not been carried out into the possibility of a collision or major incident at the port.

Members of the group will be sounding a World War II air raid siren from an island at the entrance to the waterway.

"We will be sounding it from Stack Rock fort when the first LNG tanker appears at the heads on Friday," he said.

"This will be a notice to all who live along the waterway that LNG is coming into Milford Haven."

Safe Haven commissioned its own report which it says shows "that a proper risk assessment of LNG cargo spills to the onshore population" has not been carried out.

Milford Haven Port Authority said a large number of reports and risk assessments had been undertaken.

"We are confident that we can handle LNG shipping safely and efficiently along with all other users of the port," it said.

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