Gate terminal on Maasvlakte in Rotterdam is the first and only LNG import terminal in the Netherlands. The terminal, a joint venture between Nederlandse Gasunie and Royal Vopak, supports the supply and throughput of LNG (liquefied natural gas) for Northwest Europe. LNG arrives by carrier from areas including the Middle East, Norway and Africa. Storage tanks enable large quantities of LNG to be unloaded in one go. The terminal operates as a hub in which the product is reloaded in smaller carriers for export, or is converted into natural gas and transported via pipelines to the European distribution network. Gate terminal has facilities for loading LNG in vessels, containers and trucks. LNG can then be transported to supply natural gas in areas without a pipeline infrastructure or can supply at petrol stations. This first Dutch LNG import terminal has been operational since 2011 and has an annual throughput capacity of 12 billion m3 of gas per year. The Gate terminal capacity covers approximately a third of the national gas consumption. The terminal has three storage tanks, three jetties, three loading sites for lorries and an area in which LNG is converted into natural gas.