Wednesday, November 25, 2009
In a pioneering application for the global liquid natural gas
(LNG) industry, GE Oil & Gas technology is powering the world’s first
gravity-based offshore LNG terminal located 17 kilometers offshore from the
town of Rovigo, near Venice,
on Italy’s
north east coast.
Owned and operated by Adriatic LNG, the terminal is moored
in waters 30-meter deep and is the world’s first use of an artificial island
Gravity Based Structure (GBS) for offshore LNG. At the heart of the engineering
solution is an enormous reinforced concrete box that rests on the sea floor and
houses two LNG storage tanks. Overall, the facility is 375 meters long by 115
meters wide. In addition, the project also marks the first ever offshore
deployment of a GE10-1 ‘dual fuel low emissions’ gas turbine system.
The world’s first gravity-based offshore LNG terminal, which is off the coast of northern Italy in the Adriatic Sea, is powered by GE Oil & Gas technology.
Tony Mercer, Project Manager, Aker Kvaerner said: "GE
Oil & Gas has risen to the challenge of delivering a fully modularized gas
turbine power generation system that will help us to save significant time
during the construction and commissioning stages of the Adriatic LNG project.
GE's positive attitude and desire to deliver to a tight production schedule was
instrumental in overcoming many challenges. We look forward to working with GE
Oil & Gas on future projects."
Claudi Santiago, President and CEO of GE Oil & Gas said:
"Adriatic LNG and its Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and Edison
owners have made the strategic vision of offshore LNG a here-and-now reality.
We are delighted that GE technology is helping to deliver this remarkable
achievement, especially given the important role that LNG plays within a
diversified energy mix. I’m also proud that GE equipment is supporting the
project on the supply side through the import of LNG from the RasGas Train-6 in
Qatar."
Adriatic LNG mega-terminal: critical to Italy’s energy
security
The new gas mega-terminal will increase Italy’s
regasification capacity by 200%, is larger than two soccer fields, as high as a
10-story building and has two LNG tanks with a combined annual capacity of 8
billion cubic meters - representing around 10% of Italy's yearly gas demand.
The Adriatic LNG operated terminal receives LNG shipments
from Qatar (80%), Egypt and Trinidad
(remainder) twice a week. The LNG is regasified at the terminal and then
transported to an onshore metering station, before it enters Italy’s gas
network.
GE ‘Wow’ Efficiency Technology Also Does it Cleaner
The LNG mega-terminal’s operations are powered by three GE10
low-emission gas turbines – two (2) GE10-1 single gas modules and one (1)
GE10-1 dual fuel gas turbine, providing a total power output of 30 megawatts to
provide optimum energy efficiency.
In addition, all three units feature GE’s advanced Dry Low
NOx (DLN) combustion system that achieves NOx emissions below 15 parts per
million – enabling the mega-terminal to meet the stringent emissions reduction
and environmental regulations prescribed by the Italian regulator.
GE Oil & Gas supplied the units to Aker Kvaerner
Contracting International, Adriatic LNG’s primary contractor on the
mega-terminal project. GE will maintain the terminal’s power plant equipment
through an 18-year contract service agreement. The gas turbine modules were
assembled and full-load tested at GE’s Avenza Yard, located near the company’s
components testing site in Massa,
Italy.
Adriatic LNG is a joint venture between Qatar Terminal
Limited (45%), a 100% owned Qatar Petroleum subsidiary, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas
(45%) and Edison SpA (10%).
GE
Oil & Gas