A new LNG (liquefied natural gas) storage and regasification barge concept is introduced by Wärtsilä, the company said in its press release. This innovative solution provides a flexible means of meeting small to medium scale requirements where pure land-based LNG options are limited. Wärtsilä’s Marine Solutions and Energy Solutions businesses have combined their expertise in developing the concept. This latest Wärtsilä innovation will be presented at the Gastech conference and exhibition being held October 27 – 30 in Singapore.
The Wärtsilä Mobile LNG can easily be combined with a barge-mounted power plant having an output capacity of up to 250 MW. Alternatively, it can be used to supply conventional land-based power plants. The Wärtsilä Mobile LNG solution will make LNG available to new consumer segments, and will benefit both utilities and end-users. Most especially, the flexibility of location can bring clean energy to areas that have only limited or no access to the national electricity grid.
The Wärtsilä Mobile LNG has been developed for challenging locations where pipelines and large-scale LNG receiving terminals are not feasible, or where the quantities of LNG needed are smaller. It represents an ideal solution for shallow water areas where access for larger vessels would not be possible without major jetty constructions or dredging operations. Compared to constructing conventional land-based terminals in difficult soil conditions and areas with an undeveloped infrastructure, the barge can represent a significantly lower capital investment (capex) and faster delivery. Furthermore, being mobile, it can be easily re-located giving it a high resale value.