LNG
NEWS
OCTOBER
2016
LNG
INDUSTRY
7
Finland
World’s first LNG-powered icebreaker delivered
A
rctech Helsinki Shipyard has announced that
it has delivered the world’s first LNG-powered
icebreaker to the Finnish Transport Agency.
The vessel –
Polaris
– was then handed over to
Arctia Icebreaking Oy. It will serve in icebreaking, oil
recovery and sea rescue operations for a period of at
least 50 years.
Polaris
is capable of running on either LNG or low
sulfur diesel oil, and complies with the International
Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Tier III emission
standards and special requirement for sulfur emissions
in the Baltic sea. It features three Azipod propulsion
units that can rotate 360°, enabling first-rate
manoeuvring. The vessel also has an icebreaking
capacity of 1.8 m at a speed of 3.5 kt. It is 110 m long
and has a breadth of 24.4 m.
Canada
PNW LNG granted conditional approval
T
he government of Canada has granted conditional
approval for the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG
(PNW LNG) project on Lelu Island within the District of
Port Edward, British Columbia (B.C.), following a rigorous
federal environmental assessment.
In a statement, the government described the project as
a major opportunity to grow the country’s economy. During
construction, the PNW LNG project will create an estimated
4500 jobs and an additional 630 direct and indirect jobs
during the operation of the facility. As well as benefiting
from job creation throughout the region, local First Nations
communities will also benefit significantly through
agreements reached with the proponent.
The project is subject to over 190 legally binding
conditions, determined through extensive scientific study.
For example, Pacific NorthWest LNG Ltd will be required to
comply with mitigation measures that will minimise adverse
effects on fish, fish habitat, marine mammals, wetlands,
migratory birds, and human health.
Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources, said: “The
Pacific NorthWest LNG Project will deliver thousands of good
middle-class jobs and will help pay for schools and roads
and social programmes that enrich people’s lives [...] This is
an exciting day for British Columbia, for Canada and for the
natural gas industry in this country.”
Petronas confirmed that it will now study the conditions
imposed by the Canadian authorities and conduct a total
review of the proposed project prior to deciding on the next
steps forward.
USA
Chart issued patent for liquefaction technology
C
hart Energy & Chemicals Inc., a Chart Industries Company,
has announced that it has been awarded a patent for its
IPSMR
®
cryogenic liquefaction process technology by the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The IPSMR cryogenic liquefaction process technology has
been developed by an in-house engineering team comprising
Douglas Ducote, Vice President – Process Plant Technology;
Timothy Gushanas, Process Consultant; and James Podolski,
Process Engineer.
The technology, initially intended for use in the making
of LNG, uses a mixture of light hydrocarbons and nitrogen to
provide refrigeration. Process optimisation is achieved through
an improved refrigeration cycle using Chart’s proprietary
brazed aluminium heat exchangers (BAHXs). Chart said that the
IPSMR process allows clients to achieve maximum operating
efficiency, economy and performance by 6 – 10% over other
industry recognised single mixed refrigerant processes.
Andrew Moriarty, President of Chart Energy & Chemicals,
said: “The IPSMR process technology and our modular
plant solutions are at the centre of many of the proposed
investments, at various stages of regulatory approval, that
will enable the export of North American shale gas through
liquefaction.”
Chart is also actively developing IPSMR to improve the
efficiency of other liquefaction processes, such as ethane,
ethylene and energy storage projects.
In addition to the US, IPSMR process technology has been
patented in other major countries, including China and Japan,
and it is patent pending in many others.
