TGE Marine signed a new contract with Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd. for the world’s first LNG-FLRSU (floating liquefaction regasification and storage unit)

In mid-June TGE Marine Gas Engineering and Chinese specialized offshore contractor Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd signed the contract for the engineering and delivery of the cargo tanks and the gas handling system for a 14,000 cbm FLRSU. The unit was ordered by Belgian Exmar Group and shall start operating at the end of 2014 in Colombia in order to liquefy up to 0.5 Mio. tons of LNG per year supplied by Exmar’s contractual partner Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. The liquefaction plant will be designed and delivered by US specialized engineering firm Black & Veatch.

The cargo containment system to be delivered by TGE Marine is based on IMO type C pressure vessels which allow a certain pressure built-up and full flexibility for partial loading. Further, these types of tanks are not vulnerable to any sloshing loads. TGE Marine has extensive know-how and references for the design and delivery of more than 200 type C cargo tanks and has upgraded its proven ethylene tanks to LNG service a few years ago. An approval in principle for the LNG tank technology for carriers of 30,000 cbm and more has been granted already 5 years ago.

Once in operation the FLRSU will be the world’s first small scale floating liquefaction plant and will certainly be closely scrutinized by several industry players. The investment budget for the project published in the press is proof that small scale liquefaction can be a very attractive proposition to commercialize marginal gas fields.

TGE Marine’s CEO Manfred Küver commented: “We are delighted to work with Wison, Exmar and Black & Veatch on this challenging project. TGE Marine has been working for quite some years now on the development of small scale LNG chain solutions and is convinced that the market for small LNG floaters, – regas and liquefaction units – small LNG-carriers and bunker vessels will grow considerably over the next years. We are keen to play a key role as engineering contractor in this business niche.”