Gazprom Helium Service expecting to launch LNG complexes in Amur, Volgograd Regions in 2023
VLADIVOSTOK. July 13 (Interfax) - Gazprom Helium Service LLC plans to commission natural gas liquefaction (LNG) complexes in the Amur and Volgograd regions in 2023; it is also working on a larger LNG project in the Astrakhan Region and Primorye Territory, the company's CEO Lyubov Brish told Interfax.
"Today we are constructing low-tonnage LNG complexes in the Amur and Volgograd regions. These facilities are due to be put into operation in 2023. Installation of the main process equipment has been completed at the LNG complexes in the Amur Region. In the Volgograd Region, the main stage of construction began in March of this year. In addition to that, we are drawing up projects for complexes in the Astrakhan Region and Primorye Territory," she said.
In the Amur and Volgograd Regions, the company is creating complexes based on the high-pressure throttle-ejector cycle with a capacity of 1.5 tons per hour. In the Primorye Territory and Astrakhan Regions, the company is considering the possibility of using nitrogen cycle technology with a higher production capacity of up to 7 tons of LNG per hour. In addition, the company is also considering the possibility of building facilities in other regions.
"Our ongoing and prospective projects emphasize three main natural gas liquefaction technologies. The choice of a particular technology is made depending on the capacity of the future complex, the composition of the gas to be used, as well as energy resources and the size of the land plot for a particular project. The plants we are building today utilize a variety of technologies. Contractors and equipment manufacturers are also different," Brish said.
LNG complexes in the regions make it possible to independently gasify socially important facilities, as well as to use gas as a motor fuel for mainline and municipal transport and special equipment. For example, in Volgograd Region the main consumers will be motor vehicles - buses and special vehicles. In the Amur Region gas will be used for boilers. In the Primorye Territory, Gazprom Helium Service is proposing conversion of municipal utilities infrastructure to LNG.
Brish also said that in the spring the company purchased 10 container tanks for transportation of LNG, liquid nitrogen and other cryogenic products.
"The promising project in the Astrakhan region has interesting logistics: Caspian Basin ports are being modernized, so among other possibilities we are considering LNG transportation via river transport. We can work in multimodal transportation modes - for example, "car-river", using our LNG tractor-trailers to transport products to ports. As part of this project, we are considering and exploring the possibility of shipment to river transportation and further to consumers. We plan to ship the products in tank-containers. This will be our first experience," she said.
Gazprom Helium Service is a Gazprom operator company for the implementation of investment projects using cryogenic technologies.