LNG

Burckhardt Compression, the Swiss-based LNG equipment maker for LNG shipping, said its oil-free, high-pressure compressor had highlighted its operational effectiveness on an LNG carrier. 

The Winterthur-based company said its Laby GI Compressor type LP250, the world’s first oil-free reciprocating high-pressure fuel-gas compressor in service, reached 10,000 hours of uninterrupted operations.

The compressor system is installed on an LNG carrier with capacity of 174,000 cubic metres.

Burckhardt notes that it is the only manufacturer able to compress gas to 300 bar in a large, ring-sealed compressor system without cylinder lubrication.

In addition to its Swiss operations, Burckhardt has expanded in recent years to run compressor and service businesses in the US, Japan and China.

Burckhardt said its Laby GI fuel-gas compressor system plays an important role on LNG carriers to help maximise fuel efficiency.

“As the liquified natural gas warms up during storage and transportation, the evaporated boil-off gas must be economically managed by either using it as fuel or re-liquefying it,” the company explained.

“Both, dual-fuel engines as well as re-liquefaction plants, require a certain operation pressure, ranging up to 300 bar,” it added.

“Therefore, Burckhardt’s LNG solutions have been specifically designed to handle gases at low temperature and high pressure while meeting the requirements for operation at sea,” noted the company.

Burckhardt's five-stage fuel gas compressor system is designed to manage the vessel’s boil-off gas with a flow of up to 4’700 kg/h.

The company pointed out that dry-running sealing technology saved significant expenditure for cylinder lubrication and filter maintenance.

“The performance of the high-pressure re-liquefaction system is improved due to the absence of fouling caused by small traces of residual oil carried within the gas,” it said.

The oil-free gas compression completely removes the need for oil separation and gas filtration technology and guarantees the cleanliness of the heat exchanger in the high-pressure re-liquefaction system.

In addition, maintenance intervals for the oil-free, high-pressure sealing technology are confirmed to reach 8,000 operating hours.

At the start of 2021, Burckhardt signed a final contract agreeing to acquire the 40 percent of Chinese company Shenyang Yuanda Compressor it didn’t already own.

The contract meant the Swiss firm owned all of the Shenyang Yuanda Compressor company based in Shenyang in the northeast Liaoning Province of China.

The company had owned 60 percent of Shenyang Yuanda Compressor since May 2016.

Burckhardt had previously taken a stake in US firm Arkos Field Services and the business was fully acquired in November 2019.

It additionally completed a deal in April 2020 to acquire the global compressor business of Japan Steel Works Ltd.

Burckhardt Compression, the Swiss manufacturer of compressor systems and a service provider for LNG and other markets, has continued its global expansion by signing a final contract agreeing to acquire the 40 percent of Chinese company Shenyang Yuanda Compressor it didn’t already own.

The contract to own all of Shenyang Yuanda Compressor, based in Shenyang in the northeast Liaoning Province of China, was signed on January 25, 2021 and closing was expected in early February.

Burckhardt had announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding on buying the remaining shares back in September 2020 .

The company, based in Winterthur, central Switzerland, had owned 60 percent of Shenyang Yuanda Compressor since May 2016.

Burckhardt has been expanding in. the sector and had previously taken over US and Japanese companies. US subsidiary Arkos Field Services was fully acquired in November 2019.

Burckhardt also in April 2020 completed a deal to acquire the global compressor business of Japan Steel Works Ltd.

Shenyang Yuanda employs around 650 employees in China and generated sales of about 100 million Swiss francs ($112.6M) in 2019.

“Since the initial interest in Shenyang Yuanda Compressor, the company has expanded into more segments of the market, the product portfolio has been broadened to address a wider range of market needs, and Burckhardt has gained direct access to a well-established local supply chain,” said the company.

“Compressors manufactured by Shenyang Yuanda have been available in selected export markets through the international distribution and sales channels of Burckhardt since 2019,” it added.

Burckhardt offers a variety of compressor solutions for fuel gas compression that have been specifically designed for marine applications.

Its M-Type Electronically Controlled-Gas Injection (ME-GI) compressor systems are designed for boil-off gas management on LNG carriers equipped with MAN Energy Solutions ME-GI two-stroke engines.

Burckhardt also provides its Laby brand compressors for LNG carriers with X-DF propulsion systems and other marine compressors for vessels such as bunkering ships.

Burckhardt Compression, the LNG equipment maker, has had a shareholder agreement with a management buy-out group from 18 years ago extended until 2026, underlining corporate stability amid steady expansion.

The MBO shareholder group who participated in the management buyout transaction in 2002 and who initiated and conducted Burckhardt Compression’s initial public offering of shares in 2006 has informed the company that it will extend its shareholder agreement, ahead of schedule, for another five years.

The previous MBO shareholder agreement was concluded in 2016 with its term running until May 2021.

“We greatly appreciate that Burckhardt Compression can continue to count on the commitment of this stable anchor shareholder group,” said Ton Büchner, Chairman of the Board.

The stake held by the MBO shareholder group amounts to 12.3 percent of outstanding shares.

Valentin Vogt, representative of the MBO shareholder group, said it was happy with the current direction of the firm.

“With the renewal of the shareholder group agreement for another five years we reaffirm our long-term dedication as shareholders of Burckhardt Compression,” said Vogt.

The history of Burckhardt Compression began in April 2002 when the Swiss Sulzer Corporation decided to divest the Sulzer Burckhardt division through a management buyout.

Five members of Sulzer Burckhardt’s management together with the financial investor Zurmont acquired the company.

The former Sulzer division has since operated under the name Burckhardt Compression.

In June 2006, Zurmont sold its entire stake in Burckhardt Compression through an IPO.

At the time of the IPO, the five members of management, who then owned 20.9 percent of the company’s shares, concluded a shareholder agreement, which has now been extended since those days.

Burckhardt offers a variety of compressor solutions for fuel gas compression that have been specifically designed for marine applications.

Its M-Type Electronically Controlled-Gas Injection (ME-GI) compressor systems are designed for boil-off gas management on LNG carriers equipped with MAN Energy Solutions ME-GI two-stroke engines.

Burckhardt also provides its Laby brand compressors for LNG carriers with X-DF propulsion systems and other marine compressors for vessels such as bunkering ships.

Burckhardt’s most recent order was disclosed in early December and consisted of eight low-pressure systems for boil-off gas (BOG) management.

The compressor solutions are destined for two 14,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) and two 690 FEU (forty-foot equivalent units) container vessels ordered by C-LNG Solutions, a Singapore-based leader in LNG fuel gas solutions and LNG cargo handling.

Winterthur-based Burckhardt said all the ships would be equipped with WinGD X-DF propulsion systems and will be built at a Chinese shipyard with an option for 16 more vessels.

Burckhardt has been steadily moving into other markets through acquisitions over the past several years.

The Swiss manufacturer continued its global expansion by agreeing in 2020 to acquire the 40 percent of Chinese company Shenyang Yuanda Compressor it didn’t already own.

Burckhardt had its initial 60 percent of Shenyang Yuanda, based in northeast Liaoning Province, in March of 2016.

The Swiss company has previously taken over US and Japanese companies. US subsidiary Arkos Field Services was fully acquired in November 2019.

Burckhardt also in April 2020 completed a deal to acquire the global compressor business of Japan Steel Works Ltd.

Swiss LNG equipment-maker Burckhardt Compression said its fiscal first-half closed with higher sales, increased operating income and a substantial year-on-year rise in net profits as the company acquired or agreed to buy three new units over the past year.

Burckhardt Compression, the Swiss manufacturer of compressor systems and a service provider for LNG and other markets, has continued its global expansion by agreeing to acquire the 40 percent of Chinese company Shenyang Yuanda Compressor it didn’t already own.

Swiss company Burckhardt Compression, whose LNG offerings include the Laby brand of compressors and boil-off gas solutions, has set a solid sales target for the year as it expanded in Japan and the US and was proceeding with building a factory in China.

Swiss company Burckhardt Compression, whose LNG offerings include the Laby brand of compressors and boil-off gas solutions, said it signed a five-year service agreement covering nine LNG carriers with a total of 12 Laby-GI Compressors onboard. 

Nov 26 (LNGJ) - Swiss company Burckhardt Compression, whose LNG offerings include its Laby brand of compressors and boil-off gas solutions, has acquired a US field services firm, the Arkos Group, by purchasing the 60 percent of Arkos it did not already own. The Arkos workforce numbers 250 employees.

   Burckhardt initially acquired a 40 percent interest in Arkos Group in December 2015. “With the purchase of the remaining ownership of Arkos, Burckhardt Compression together with Arkos Field Services will be the only independent one-stop provider for equipment and service in the upstream, midstream and downstream business,” said Burckhardt.

   “The US has the world's largest installed base of reciprocating compressors,” it noted. The previous estimate of Burckhardt’s full-year sales for fiscal year 2019 ranged between 600M Swiss francs ($601M) and 640M francs and with the acquisition will increase by 20M-30M francs.