Gaztransport and Technigaz (GTT), the French LNG storage technology company, has completed the construction of two full containment tanks for the new Nangang LNG import terminal being constructed by the parent company of Beijing Gas Group at Tianjin port in northeast China.
GTT’s order was received from its partner company, China Huanqiu Contracting and Engineering Co. (HQCEC), for the design of eight very large storage tanks each with a capacity of 220,000 cubic metres.
“They are the world's largest onshore LNG storage tanks incorporating the GST® membrane containment technology,” said GTT.
The Paris-based company said the construction schedule remained on track despite the constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
GTT added that the two onshore tanks were now entering the commissioning phase and would be operational in the first half of 2023.
The new Tianjin-Nangang project comprises three phases and will be the the third facility to serve the northeast Chinese port supplying the gas needs of Beijing.
The existing facilities currently include the Tianjin North onshore terminal operated by China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) and had included a separate floating facility when required.
Huge project
“The construction of these first two onshore tanks marks an important milestone for BGG's LNG terminal in Tianjin,” said Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and Chief Executive of GTT Group.
“These tanks are the first of eight planned for the site and are already the largest onshore tanks in the world equipped with our GST® technology. We thank BGG and the Chinese government for their trust and wish HQCEC every success for this new terminal,” he declared.
GTT said its technology offered many advantages compared with a traditional onshore LNG tank.
This includes safer storage management through integrated monitoring and greater storage capacity for the same footprint.
“This milestone is the reward of five years of assessment, preparation, engineering and actual construction,” said Li Yalan, who is Chairwoman of the Beijing Gas unit of parent company Beijing Entreprises Group.
“We are proud to have evolved this emerging technology into a promising solution for many projects around the world,” added Li, whose is also the current President of the International Gas Union.
“Thanks to this world first, these containment membrane tanks are on their way to becoming the state-of-the-art in LNG storage. We have been impressed by the dedication and passion of GTT and HQCEC to make this world-first a success,” she stated.
