Gassco to improve blow-down system at LNG terminals

Aug. 5, 2009
Gassco AS contracted Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd. to modify its blow-down system at its 6.6 million tonnes/year LNG terminal at Zeebrugge, Belgium, and proposed one in Dunkerque, France. The contract value was not disclosed.

Uchenna Izundu
OGJ International Editor

LONDON, Aug. 5 -- Gassco AS contracted Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd. to modify its blow-down system at its 6.6 million tonnes/year LNG terminal at Zeebrugge, Belgium, and proposed one in Dunkerque, France. The contract value was not disclosed.

Foster Wheeler is scheduled to finish the engineering, procurement, and construction contract in 2010 for the Zeebrugge LNG terminal. Foster Wheeler will focus on concept development and pre-engineering of the blow-down system at Dunkerque terminal following its successful completion of the study phase.

A blow-down system safely depressurizes the process areas of a gas terminal when there’s an emergency.

The company already reviewed the process in Zeebrugge and suggested various means to reduce the risk of escalation in the inlet and process areas if there was a fire.

“The concept development and pre-engineering work for Dunkerque will involve further development of the proposed solution, identified in the completed study, to optimize the blow-down system to meet venting time recommendations for the fire-affected areas. This work will support Gassco in seeking approval to proceed with project implementation,” said Foster Wheeler.

Dunkerque LNG is scheduled to come on stream in 2014 and is being spearheaded by EDF. The final investment decision will be taken in the first 6 months of next year and it is considered to be a strategic project in diversifying Europe’s energy sources. It will have a capacity of 10-13 billion cu m/year.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].