Founded in 1986, Tecnoconsult Engineering Construction is a multidisciplinary engineering company that provides services to both the oil and gas and renewables industries covering offshore and onshore, upstream and midstream engineering. Tommaso Pierangeli, now at the helm of the company together with his sister Francesca, tells us about the innovative LNG technology.
Dr. Pierangeli,what is LNG?
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons whose main component is methane; this gas is extracted from the production fields that can be found both on land and at sea. The abbreviation LNG (in English LNG, Liquefied Natural Gas) means Liquefied Natural Gas and represents the form in which the natural gas is found after the liquefaction process: this process consists mainly in cooling the fluid up to a temperature of -162 ° C with consequent reduction of the initial volume of gas by about 600 times.
What advantages does this technology offer?
The classic method of transporting natural gas is through large steel pipelines, possibly interspersed with stations equipped with large compressors that allow the gas to travel long distances; obviously this method involves the construction of these transport infrastructures, which once installed are not very versatile (for example in the diversification of supply or in the variation of flow rates).
The use of LNG allows the transport of the product with LNG carriers that can then load the liquid in various production terminals and deliver them to appropriate reception facilities (called regasification plants) located several thousand kilometers from the production sites. The reception systems then transform the LNG back into gas and convey it to the national network for distribution to our homes.
The effect of reducing the initial volume by 600 times as a result of liquefaction also allows for easier storage in shore or floating deposits, ensuring strategic stocks.
What are the environmental implications of an LNG regasification plant?
Strict environmental protection regulations are now in place in almost all the world and the design has adapted to these stringent requirements. Depending on the technology chosen to transfer heat to the LNG and bring it back to the gaseous state, different interactions with the surrounding environment can be had; these interactions are carefully studied in the design phase, also with the help of mathematical forecasting models, and compared with the legal limits of the country in question.
We believe that among all the industrial processes with which we live today, LNG technology can be counted among thatand with reduced environmental impact; methane treated in these plants is the “commodity” that operators sell and it is therefore intrinsic that there is no economic convenience, as well as obviously environmental, to disperse it. All operators have a strict policy of zero methane emissions.
And from a security point of view?
As with any Oil & Gas plant, safety is the main reference factor in the design; during the study phases, calculations and simulations are carried out on potential accident scenarios, also taking into account extremely remote hypotheses (for example with a probability of occurrence of one in a million) and defining a whole series of design solutions aimed at mitigating the consequences of even such remote events.
Why is this technology important for the future?
We believe that LNG is an extremely effective role in ensuring flexibility in supply, which is a fairly sensitive issue. Many of the natural gas producing countries are equipping themselves with coastal liquefaction plants and, at the same time, the importing countries (including Italy) are organizing themselves with regasification terminals; the fleet of gas tankers is expanding.
This scenario leads to the creation of “virtual” pipelines between producing and importing countries, guaranteeing both parties great flexibility in increasing thecapacity of the operators.
What services does Tecnoconsult offer in this area?
Our Company is able to provide 360 ° design services in the field of regasification terminals, with a special focusand coastal terminals, also equipped with floating storage.
To find out more:
- Website: www.tecnoconsult.it
Contattaci: commercial@tecnoconsult.it
