Svanehøj and Engie Lab Crigen are strategically collaborating to advance safety measures for Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) storage in Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs). Identifying the potential dangers of stratifications and roll-overs during the storage of LNG in a cryogenic state, these two entities are determined to combat them through their partnership. Their collaboration aims to overcome the existing challenges surrounding LNG handling on FSRUs by expanding research and crafting effective solutions.
Understanding the Challenges of LNG Roll-overs
Recognizing the importance of software for roll-over prediction in managing LNG storage, Svanehøj, and Engie Lab Crigen have set out on this journey to strengthen their sector’s understanding. The emergence of LNG as a dominant player in energy infrastructure signals a rise in the construction of FSRUs, presenting a viable storage alternative. However, a comprehension void exists regarding the behavior of LNG on FSRUs. This knowledge lacuna, says Audrey Hubert of Engie Lab Crigen, can be filled by their joint venture, which will increase expertise around roll-over occurrence associated with FSRUs.
Decoding the Simulations: The Dissimilarity between Onshore and Offshore LNG Storage
Engie Lab Crigen has attempted to bridge this understanding gap by conducting simulations to differentiate between onshore and offshore LNG storage. These simulations will also highlight the unique risks of roll-over incidents on FSRUs. Their findings underline the necessity of predicting and simulating LNG behavior to prevent critical events such as stratification, roll-overs, pressure escalation, and vapor accumulation. Factors like higher boil-off rate, greater vapor generation, transport limitations, FSRUs’ higher pressure, and maritime motion which results in sloshing, all set offshore LNG storage apart from onshore solutions.
Emphasizing Prevention: Mitigating the Risk of Stratification
The preliminary inference from this research highlights a persistent risk of stratification within FSRUs. It underlines the importance of effective preventive measures and the need for robust safety protocols to mitigate this risk. Hubert asserts that together with Svanehøj, they hope to cultivate deeper insights and engineer solutions that address the unique challenges related to roll-over scenarios on FSRUs.
Deploying Advanced Safety Measures: Svanehøj’s Innovative Approach
Svanehøj’s tank control systems department, based out of Calais, France, holds a prominent place in the LNG industry. Established back in 1961 as Whessoe Inc., they emerged as a specialist in systems for cryogenic and low-temperature storage. Since 2021, they’ve been functioning under Svanehøj’s ambit. They’re now employing Svanehøj’s software for roll-over prediction and safety instrumentation to facilitate operators in actively monitoring and managing LNG storage settings. This proactive involvement allows operators to respond rapidly to potential roll-over risks, ensuring the safety of storage tanks as well as the crew and surrounding environment. Svanehøj’s recent successful provision of safety instrumentation and roll-over prediction software to the ENI Coral Sul FLNG facility off Mozambique’s coast stands as a testament to their effective precautions.
A Case in Point: The Successful Implementation at ENI Coral Sul FLNG
With a gas liquefaction capacity of 3.4 million tons per year and the processing of LNG from the Coral reservoir’s 450 billion cubic meters of gas, the Coral Sul FLNG required top-tier safety measures. Alex Proc of Svanehøj elucidates how they deployed software for roll-over prediction, enabling the operators to modify the regasification process, adjust LNG transfer rates, or execute other preventive measures to impede roll-over incidents.
