[Courtesy of Samsung Heavy Industries]
SEOUL -- As the world's top builder of eco-friendly vessels powered by natural gas, Samsung Heavy Industries has opened a test facility to develop and verify key technologies for a liquefied natural gas value chain from production to transportation, storage and supply.
Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) opened the LNG pilot test facility at its shipyard in Geoje on May 12 in a ceremony attended by foreign guests from international classification societies and shipping companies. Construction began in July 2019 to carry out research and develop core technologies related to LNG liquefaction, regasification and re-liquefaction.
SHI CEO Jung Jin-taek hailed the demonstration facility as the "cradle" of LNG technology innovation. South Korean shipbuilders work hard to develop smart ships and secure a competitive edge in LNG-powered vessels. SHI has led the construction of LNG-powered ships thanks to growing demands for eco-friendly ships.
The shipbuilder said the demonstration facility would strengthen its market dominance by widening the technology gap for eco-friendly ships such as LNG propulsion ships and carriers. SHI said the facility would enhance the upgrading of technologies such as liquefaction, re-liquefaction, gas engine fuel supply systems, cryogenic storage containers, and power generation using cold energy.
The liquefaction of LNG is a complicated process that uses various compressions and expansions to achieve high pressures and very low temperatures. SHI has developed a liquefaction process that enables storage and transportation by cooling LNG at room temperature. Methane and nitrogen were used as refrigerant gas to reduce power consumption.
S-REGAS (CGR) is SHI's new eco-friendly regasification system that links power generation utilizing liquefied natural gas cold energy. LNG needs to be gasified before supplied to users. The process releases a considerable amount of cold energy. A regasification system is a key element of the floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), a ship-type facility that can supply LNG directly to consumers on land after vaporizing it at sea.
SHI's re-liquefaction system for low-pressure dual-fuel engines offers increased efficiency and reliability by allowing boil-off gas from the cargo tank to be re-liquefied. New systems have been converged with SHI's smart ship technology.
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