GE Unveils LNG In A BoxTM System; Gasfin Selects New Technology for Fueling Stations in Europe
GE Unveils LNG In A BoxTMSystem; Gasfin Selects New Technology for Fueling Stations in Europe
GE's Latest Addition to Industry's Broadest Range of Small-Scale LNG Offerings
Another Key Step Toward Accelerating the Use of Natural Gas as Transportation Fuel
Key Benefits: Modular, Cost-Effective, Cleaner Fueling Option
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GE Oil & Gas (NYS: GE) today introduced the LNG In A Box system, a small-scale, plug-and-play, re-deployable liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling solution based on proven technology that can help accelerate the use of natural gas as a cost-effective, cleaner transportation fuel. The world's first commercial application of the LNG In A Box system will be for LNG fueling stations in Europe to be delivered by Luxembourg-based LNG firm Gasfin through its operating company AIR-LNG, GE announced at the 17th International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG-17) in Houston.
Gasfin today signed a memorandum of understanding with GE to install five LNG In A Box units serving "clusters" of LNG fueling stations. The first unit will be installed near the border of Italy and Slovenia, with the potential for an additional 25 units for expansion into Europe and the CIS countries.
"We are building a leadership position in the conversion of diesel, gasoline and LPG fuels to LNG in Europe, developing a competitive alternative to LNG terminal supply with portable, small-scale LNG fueling solutions for long-haul trucking and small remote energy centers," said Davor Grcevich, Gasfin managing director. "As a quickly deployable, modular solution for LNG fueling, GE's new technology offers a good match for our innovative LNG 'fueling cluster' concept that can reduce highway congestion, help ensure gas quality and open new opportunities for natural gas throughout Europe."
In comparison to GE's Micro LNG plant announced last year, this new system offers customers a more standardized, modular fueling solution covering an LNG production range of 10,000 - 50,000 gallons a day (16-18 tons/day). It expands GE's existing LNG portfolio and is the first available in a 10,000-gallons-a-day capacity that reduces demand-side adoption risk and requires a remarkably low CapEx and OpEx commitment.
GE brings technology, supply chain efficiency and the ability to industrialize at scale; enabling an owner/operator to rapidly deploy an LNG fueling solution at a site in just two months. The plug-and-play solution minimizes engineering effort and civil requirements and lowers initial cost, scheduling, technical, permitting and financing risks with its factory-tested components and GE warranties. The modules also can be redeployed as needed, thus mitigating the risk of a fixed installation by eliminating stranded infrastructure costs.
Small-scale solutions such as the LNG In A Box system may encourage the transition of long-haul trucks from diesel fuel to LNG. In the case of North America, fuel savings may yield a three-year payback based on current fuel prices. This trend can be a major contributor to North American energy security and emissions reduction goals by potentially displacing approximately 1.7 million barrels a day of oil,1 while reducing total "well to wheels" GHG emissions by 7-15 percent.2 The small-scale solution also is economically suited for customers seeking a 10-50,000-gallons-a-day production capacity. Typical LNG tanks for heavy-duty vehicles hold an average of 70-150 gallons (110-240 kg), so one 10,000-gallon-a-day (17 tons/day) system would be able to fuel up to 100 trucks per day.
"The trend toward natural gas fueling continues with our LNG In A Box plug-and-play system," said Ujjwal Kumar, general manager, Turbomachinery Unconventional Solutions product line for GE Oil & Gas. "This industrial-scaled technology can help accelerate the build-out of natural gas fueling infrastructure and can enable the conversion of diesel-powered vehicles to more cost-effective, cleaner natural gas."
GE provides flexibility in LNG In A Box transaction structuring to meet our customers' fueling infrastructure and vehicle needs, with access to large amounts of capital and services. Through GE Capital, customers can take advantage of equipment financing products that can help mitigate up-front expense challenges. GE Capital Fleet Services also can provide financial and vehicle management programs to support both conventional and alternative-fueled vehicle fleets.
Each LNG In A Box unit is fully equipped with a gas pre-treatment system, cold box assembly and boil off gas compressor as well as a GE's turboexpander compressor, high-speed reciprocating compressor, electric motor, driver and control system. LNG In A Box units for Gasfin will be manufactured in the United States and will be shipped to Gasfin's LNG fueling sites in Europe.
The new system is suitable for numerous industry sectors including highway transportation, marine, rail and remote industries such as mining and distributed power generation. It further expands GE's solutions portfolio for unconventional resources, consisting of more than 40 technologies that are addressing fundamental industry challenges, helping customers and the industry improve operational performance, reduce their environmental footprint and increase resource recovery while creating innovative technologies to drive demand for natural gas.
Previously introduced GE products include the CNG In A BoxTM system, a fully integrated compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling supply system offering cost-effective plug-and-play simplicity for fleet and retail fueling stations that provide CNG fuel; and the Micro LNG plant to power remote industrial locations and for fueling long haul trucks and locomotives running on LNG in the future.
To view accompanying photos, please click here, here and here.
About GE
GE (NYS: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
About GE Oil & Gas
GE Oil & Gas is a world leader in advanced technologies and services with 37,000 employees in more than 100 countries supporting customers across the industry—from extraction to transportation to end use. Making the environment, health and safety, quality and integrity our highest priorities is The Way We Work. Our technologies and services include: surface and subsea drilling and production, monitoring and diagnostics, measurement and controls, large-scale LNG, pipeline compression and inspection, well site and industrial power generation, technologies for the refining and petrochemical industries, and modular CNG and LNG units for transportation sectors. Through our customized service solutions, training programs and technologies, GE Oil & Gas partners with customers to maximize their efficiency, productivity and equipment reliability; develop their next generation workforce; and fully benefit from the megatrends of natural gas, the growth of subsea and hard-to-reach reserves and the revolution in asset health management. Follow GE Oil & Gas on Twitter @GE_OilandGas.
About Gasfin and AIR-LNG
Gasfin is an independent developer and operator of innovative small and mid-scale LNG solutions across the LNG infrastructure chain from liquefaction to shipping, storage, regasification and local distribution. Gasfin provides infrastructure solutions under long term fixed price contracts which can be structured to include or exclude gas supply. Main target is using LNG in mobility area and to replace liquid fuels, being less competitive or/and environmentally friendly.
Gasfin is a shareholder in the operating companies, TGE Gas Engineering GmbH (www.tge-gas.com) and TGE Marine AG (www.tge-marine.com).
AIR-LNG GmbH (based in Bonn) and AIR-LNG SA (based in Luxembourg) are the latest addition to the Gasfin group, specifically formed to develop LNG solutions for aviation, ship, road and rail applications (www.AIR-LNG.com).
LNG In A Box and CNG In A Box are trademarks of GE Oil & Gas, Inc.
1 Congressional Research Service, November 2012
2 IHS CERA, June 2012
GE Oil & Gas
Sean Gannon, +1-203-224-9481
sean.gannon@ge.com
or
Fabio Pianini, +39-342-391-3298
fabio.pianini@ge.com
or
Masto Public Relations
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Ken Darling
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Kate Culman
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KEYWORDS: United States Europe North America Texas
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