Building assets for the future

As the share of renewables continues to grow in the energy mix, LNG is needed as a bridging fuel to plug intermittency issues and provide a scalable, reliable, and dispatchable power supply. To meet the growing energy demand, there is an impetus to adopt technologies that improve efficiency and optimise operations from construction to production. Modernising LNG terminals into highly automated, optimised, and electrified assets is paramount to operators remaining agile and resilient for the future.

Modern LNG terminals are raising the bar for efficiency and optimisation. They are producing more with less, and have dramatically increased the volume of LNG produced with each individual train, while lowering emissions. In this way, smart design, automation, digitalisation, and electrification can address the key challenges facing terminal operators.

Digital solutions are innovating rapidly and continue to drive change in the LNG industry. Digital and automated systems collect and analyse a huge volume of data to discover opportunities for operational improvements. These can include intelligent predictive maintenance, whereby the system collects data from different assets to inform the operator ahead of time when each asset will need to be serviced, reducing unexpected downtime.

A benefit of digitisation is integrating disparate systems so they can easily communicate with each other. At ABB, having the electrical control and automation system on the same ABB AbilityTM System 800xA^® distributed control system (DCS) means two critical pieces of plant infrastructure are seamlessly integrated. By utilising a comprehensive approach, more data can be accessed and analysed together to better inform operational decisions. Tools like digital dashboards allow different team members to share data, in real time, and use simulation to determine how and when different goals can be achieved.

Automated and integrated systems help to ease labour shortages that are becoming a challenge across heavy industries. Through remote operations and access to global technical support, system users get access to expertise without the expense and issues associated with global travel. Integrated, automated, and digitalised systems enable operators to spot and diagnose faults quicker. Integrated systems can quickly determine where a fault lies and offer a resolution.

While not suitable for every location, e-LNG or all electric LNG is the route to enhancing energy efficiency and helping reduce emissions at terminals. Once built, e-LNG plants can connect directly to the electrical grid and ideally leverage renewable electricity sources to power compressors, pumps, and refrigeration units. The primary source of emissions in an LNG facility is the gas turbines used to power compressors. e-LNG replaces these with large electric motors paired with variable speed drives.

These motors are substantially more efficient; gas turbines typically operate at around 37% efficiency, while electric motors achieve over 95%. They also require much less maintenance – every five years, compared to annually for gas turbines. Moreover, because e-LNG facilities do not require natural gas to run turbines, they can produce additional LNG output. And by integrating electrification with automation technologies, it is possible to optimise operations and reduce energy usage across various processes.

Adoption of e-LNG has been gaining momentum for years. For example, Equinor’s pioneering Hammerfest project in Norway, when completed in 2006, was Europe’s first LNG export facility and the world’s first all-electric LNG plant. ABB supported the project with end-to-end expertise, including subsea technology and the integration of automation systems, including a fully integrated, central hub-controlled facility that improved safety and operational efficiency.

One of the challenges about e-LNG is reliability. This is particularly acute in harsh or remote environments, where terminal facilities are typically located, making them more susceptible to the elements including high winds and coastal storms. Another potential challenge at some e-LNG facilities is the reliability of grid systems and the possibility of short voltage drops. To address these issues, ABB has developed advanced electrical and automation systems that detect and mitigate voltage drops, ensuring e-LNG plants maintain the same high reliability as conventional gas turbine-driven plants.

Renewables, according to the IEA, currently make up about 30% of global electricity generation.³ While the technology is built out, natural gas is a viable energy source that can help meet the world’s energy security needs. LNG plays an important role in the energy transition, but LNG needs to be produced in the most energy efficient way possible. As the industry expands to meet the demands of the energy transition, technology will play a critical role in achieving measurable sustainability goals while improving operational efficiency.

Automation and digitalisation are the key tools being adopted today. Together they offer streamlined operations, low-cost analysis of data, increased visibility into process, reduction in maintenance, and increased production. Through the deployment of electrification and digitalisation technologies, the LNG industry can start to decarbonise while maintaining energy security and affordability.

References

¹ ‘Shell LNG Outlook 2024’, Shell, (2024), www.shell.com/what-we-do/oil-and-natural-gas/liquefied-natural-gas-lng/lng-outlook-2024.html

² ‘Global LNG Outlook 2024 – 2028’, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, (25 April 2024), https://ieefa.org/resources/global-lng-outlook-2024-2028

³ ‘Energy System: Renewables’, International Energy Agency, www.iea.org/energy-system/renewables

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