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AMM licenses LNG transportation technology

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LNG Industry,


Argent Marine Management has licensed its patented technology for the transport by marine vessel of LNG in ISO containers. The license is granted to an affiliate of New Fortress Energy for loading, transporting and delivering LNG filled ISO containers in locations within the Caribbean and the territorial waters of the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Argent Marine’s patented technology involves the use of a proprietary manifold and control system on board a marine vessel that interconnects multiple ISO containers allowing the filling of all containers on-board in one operation, from a land based or floating LNG source such as a liquefaction facility or LNG storage tank. The manifold also provides control of boil off in individual ISO containers while on board the vessel, facilitating long distance delivery. Once loaded, individual ISO containers can be transported by vessel to multiple ports and then offloaded onto trucks for further land-based distribution of small scale LNG fuel. The handling and transport system facilitates the distribution by vessel of small quantities of LNG to multiple consumption locations, minimising otherwise extensive handling costs and thereby improving overall transportation economics for small scale LNG distribution. For instance, the system will facilitate distribution of LNG from water-based US or other LNG facilities to the many small island-based power production facilities throughout the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or other archipelagos.

The technology also allows the offloading of the LNG from multiple ISO containers similar to a single on-board tank. This feature forms the basis for Argent Marine’s proprietary Intermodal Bunker Vessel (IBV) which facilitates lower cost bunkering of LNG fuel in any port seeking to provide LNG fuel. For ports lacking on-site LNG supply, operations involve trucking LNG filled ISO containers from an offsite source to a port location where, under existing regulations, the containers are loaded onto the IBV and connected to the manifold. Once loaded with multiple filled ISO tanks, the IBV moves alongside an LNG powered vessel and offloads LNG from the ISO tanks through the manifold similar to conventional oil bunkering operations. Empty containers are then offloaded and replaced with full containers for the next bunkering operation. The system facilitates immediate start-up of bunkering operations as it does not require the in-port installation of LNG production and/or storage infrastructure thereby avoiding the extensive time, costs and permitting necessary to support conventional LNG bunkering operations. For ports with on-site supply, multiple ISO tanks on board the IBV can be filled simultaneously from the local storage tank. Argent Marine’s proprietary IBV system is the most similar system to conventional oil bunkering and due to its lower capital and operational costs, it provides superior bunkering economics.

Importantly, due to the recent efforts relating to decarbonisation of the Marine sector, the IBV and bunkering system have been adapted to adapted to carry other alternate liquid fuels including ammonia, methanol and liquid hydrogen.

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/23042021/amm-licenses-lng-transportation-technology/

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