Linde Engineering

LNG Technology.

Contents.

3 Introduction

4 Pretreatment and separation of natural gas

5 LNG plant block scheme

6 Single mixed refrigerant liquefaction process: LIMUM1

7 References

LNG plant in Kollsnes, Norway

LNG plant in Kwinana, Australia

8 Single mixed refrigerant liquefaction process: LIMUM3

9 References

MFC and LIMUM

are registered trademarks of Linde AG

LNG plants in China

LNG plant in Stavanger, Norway

LNG plant in Bintulu, Malaysia

10 MFC process (mixed-fluid cascade)

11 LNG plant in Hammerfest, Norway

12 Coil-wound heat exchanger

14 Plate-fin heat exchanger

16 Contact

Introduction.
Natural gas is a mixture of gases containing primarily hydrocarbon gases. It is colorless and odorless in its pure form.
It is the cleanest fossil fuel with the lowest carbon dioxide
emissions. Natural gas is an important fuel source as well as
a major feedstock for fertilizers and petrochemicals.
For economic transportation over great distances natural gas
can be cooled and liquefied occupying only 1/600th of its
normal volume in gaseous form at a temperature of around
-162C. Linde Engineering has a strong history in the LNG
industry having developed, built and started-up over 20 LNG
plants world-wide since 1967.
Linde Engineerings natural gas liquefaction processes can
cover LNG plants ranging from 40 thousand to more than
10 million tons per year.

Pretreatment and separation

of natural gas.
Pretreatment of natural gas
Prior to liquefaction natural gas often has to be
pretreated. Such pretreatment typically consists
of mercury removal, gas sweetening and drying.
Depending on the downstream processing steps
and the concentration of the sour gas components, it may be necessary to remove H2S and
CO2 from the natural gas. Scrubbing processes
such as MDEA, are offered for this application.
Should only minor amounts of sour gas be present, they can be removed by adsorption along
with the removal of water. Mercury guard beds
are recommended to protect people and equipment.

Separation of natural gas

Cryogenic processes represent the most economical solutions to reject or to recover natural gas
components.
NGL, LPG, condensate or the pure components
methane, ethane, propane and butane often
have higher sales value compared to the pipeline gas itself. Therefore they are frequently extracted and fractionated in tailor made processing plants according to the specific requirements
of the regional market. NGL and LPG are ideal
feedstocks for steam crackers producing olefins.
Removal of nitrogen leads to reduced transportation volumes and an increased heating value.
Furthermore it is sometimes required for the
usage as fuel gas feeding gas turbines. The gas
turbines are installed to provide the required
electrical or mechanical power of the LNG plants.

C3+ recovery plant in Kollsnes, Norway

(Photo courtesy of STATOIL)

Helium recovery is often combined with nitrogen removal. High purity helium is produced by
the combination of cryogenic and pressure
swing adsorption process steps.
All manner of processes for the pretreatment
and separation of natural gas as well as the
extraction of NGL, LPG, nitrogen and helium
are offered by the Engineering Division.

LNG plant block scheme.

A typical LNG plant is comprised of the
following units:

LNG metering stations

Sometimes in addition the following units
are required:

Feed gas compression, in case the natural

gas pressure is low
CO2 removal, mostly by a wash process and
drying H2O removal by an adsorber (CO2 and
H2O would otherwise freeze and cause clogging in the downstream liquefaction equipment)
Natural gas liquefaction
Refrigeration system and
refrigerant make-up unit
LNG storage
LNG loading stations

Sour
gas

Exhaust
gas

hot
oil

Feed gas
compression

Refrigerant
make-up unit

flue
gas

Gas turbine

NG purification
CO2 removal

Fire fighting

NG purification
dryer

Utilities

liquid refr.

dry
NG

vap. refr.

fuel gas

fuel gas

hot oil
purified
NG

Boil-off gas
(fuel gas)
compression

Refrigeration
system

lean

solvent

rich
NG

solvent

Solvent
regeneration
Natural gas

Waste heat
recovery

hot oil

hot oil

Hot oil
system

hot oil

Waste
water

Condensate stabilisation
Fractionation
N2 removal

NG
liquefaction

Flare

LNG

LNG
storage

LNG

LNG loading
station
container
LNG loading
jetty

LNG loading
station truck

LNG

LNG meters
LNG

LNG

LNG meters

Single mixed refrigerant liquefaction process:

LIMUM1
LIMUM1 (Linde multi-stage mixed refrigerant process applying platefin heat exchanger)
The LP MR (mixed refrigerant) is compressed in a two stage centrifugal
compressor and partially condensed against cooling water or air
Both phases of the compressed MR are jointly fed to a brazed aluminium
plate-fin heat exchanger, are fully liquefied and subcooled
After expansion in a J-T valve the MR if fully vaporized under low pressure providing refrigeration for natural gas liquefaction and fractionation, if required.

Basic single flow LNG process

for less than 0.5 mtpa LNG

NG

Fractionator

N2

NGL

LNG

LP MR

HP MR

References.
LNG plant in Kollsnes, Norway
Capacity
Customer
Start-up

40,000 tpa
Naturgass Vest, now Gasnor
2003

LNG is distributed by trucks and by small LNG

transport ships to satellite stations. One innovative feature of this project is the use of LNG as
fuel in ferry boats along the Norwegian coast.
There are many advantages replacing diesel
with LNG. The exhaust gas of the engines is
clean and free of solid particles. NOx and CO2
emissions are reduced. The engines and therefore the ferries have a reduced noise level.

LNG plant in Kwinana, Australia

Capacity
Customer
Start-up

62,500 tpa
Westfarmers Gas Limited
2008

LNG is produced from pipeline gas and is then

distributed by truck to various customers, such
as peak shaving power stations. Here the LNG
replaces diesel and other fuels, which are less
environmentally acceptable.

Single mixed refrigerant liquefaction process:

LIMUM3
LIMUM3 (Linde multi-stage mixed refrigerant process applying coilwound heat exchanger)
The LP MR (mixed refrigerant) is compressed in a two stage centrifugal
compressor and partially condensed against cooling water or air
The heavy, liquid MR fraction os used in a coil-wound heat exchanger
to pre-cool natural gas and to condense the light, gaseous MR fraction
partially
The resulting, intermediately boiling MR fraction serves as liquefaction
refrigerant, while the remaining light ends MR fraction sub-cools the
liquefied natural gas
Advanced single flow LNG process
for 0.2 to 1.0 mtpa LNG

LNG

Fractionator

N2

NGL

NG

LP MR

HP MR

References.
LNG plants in China
Capacity
Customer
Start-up

430,000 tpa
Xin Jiang Guanghui
2004

Capacity
Customer
Start-up

430,000 tpa
Xin Jiang Ji Munai Guanghui
2013

Capacity
Customer
Start-up

300,000 tpa
Huineng Coal Chemical Co. Ltd.
2013

Capacity
Customer

Start-up

350,000 tpa
Siehuang Tonghei Engery &
Technology Dev. Co. Ltd.
2014

All of these LNG plants are highly flexible and

excel due to their robustness. As special feature
the plant in Jimunai has a nitrogen removal column integrated into the liquefaction process.
This is an economically attractive concept for
nitrogen rich feed gases. LNG is transported by
trucks to a large number of satellite stations.
This LNG scheme creates new gas markets and
provides a great improvement in the tight energy supply situation in China.
LNG plant in Stavanger, Norway
Capacity
Customer
Start-up

300,000 tpa
Lyse Gass AS
2010

Due to the high feed gas pressure and based

on the Linde proprietary LIMUM process this
LNG plant achieves an outstanding energy efficiency. The plant supplies LNG to both the local
industry and AGA, an affiliate of the Linde Gas
division. The AGA quota of the produced LNG
is first shipped to an import terminal in Nynshamn, Sweden, which was built as well by Linde
Engineering.
LNG plant in Bintulu, Malaysia
Capacity
Customer
Start-up

650,000 tpa
MLNG
2014

The plant is the worlds largest re-liquefaction

plant for N2 rich boil-off gases from MLNGs LNG
complex in Bintulu, Malaysia.

10

MFC process (mixed-fluid cascade).

The MFC process is highly efficient due to the use of the three mixed
refrigerant cycles.
The process is comprised of:
Plate-fin heat exchangers for natural gas precooling
CWHEs (coil-wound heat exchangers) for natural gas liquefaction and
LNG subcooling
Three separate mixed refrigerant cycles, each with different compositions, which result in minimum compressor shaft power requirement
Three cold suction centrifugal compressors
> 10 mtpa LNG can be produced in a single train.
MFC (mixed-fluid cascade) process
for 3 to 12 mtpa LNG

NG

LNG

SMR

LMR

LMR

SMR

11

LNG plant in Hammerfest, Norway.

Capacity

Customer
Start-up

4.3 mtpa
(million tons per annum)
Statoil
2007

This is Europes first and the worlds northernmost LNG baseload plant. The MFC (mixed fluid
cascade) process together with the low cooling
water temperature at the site are the basis for
the extremely low specific power consumption
of the plant (less than 250 kWh/t).
This LNG project has another distinguishing feature: the entire LNG baseload plant was preassembled in various shipyards in Europe and
transported to its operating location on HLVs
(heavy lift vessels). The process plant itself was
installed on a barge in a shipyard, transported
by HLV and finally grounded in a prepared dock
at the site.

12

Coil-wound heat exchanger.

The ample choice of usable alloys including aluminium and stainless
steel allow coil-wound heat exchangers to be used for a wide range of
applications in cold as well as warm applications. The coil-wound heat
exchanger is the core equipment in large base-load LNG plants.
The Engineering Division has numerous references for coil-wound heat
exchangers designed and manufactured in its own workshops.
Benefits
Providing a large heating surface per shell
Tolerant against thermal shocks due to its robust design

Manufacturing of coil-wound heat exchanger

in Linde workshop

13

Refrigerant inlet
Manhole
Baffle plate

Pre-distributor
Tube bundle pigtail
Mandrel

Distributor

Lifting trunnion
Hand hole
Bonnet
Transition joint
Bundle outlet nozzle
Drain
Vent

Shroud
Tube bundle with alternating winding direction

Platform stubs

Insulation support ring

Vessel shell

Vacuum ring

2 multi nozzle
Temperature detector junction box
Bundle inlet nozzle
Tube sheet

Refrigerant outlet

Skirt

The coil-wound heat exchanger

is the core equipment in large baseload
LNG plants.

14

Plate-fin heat exchanger.

The vacuum brazed aluminium plate-fin heat exchangers are key components in many cryogenic process plants. They are the preferred heat exchangers in small LNG plants.
Benefits
Compactness, saving installation space and investment costs
Many process streams can be handled in a single unit, thus avoiding
expensive interconnecting piping of different units
Low equipment weight

Aluminium plate-fin heat exchangers assembled

in Linde workshop

15

Stub pipe

Distributor fin

Header tank

Heat transfer fin

Partition plate
Side bar
Cover plate

Scheme of an aluminium plate-fin

heat exchanger

The vacuum brazed aluminium plate-fin

heat exchangers are key components in many
cryogenic process plants. They are the preferred heat exchangers in small LNG plants.

Designing processes constructing plants.

Lindes Engineering Division continuously develops extensive process engineering know-how for the planning,
project management and construction of turnkey industrial plants.
The range of products comprises:
Petrochemical plants
LNG and natural gas processing plants
Synthesis gas plants
Hydrogen plants
Gas processing plants
Adsorption plants
Air separation plants
Cryogenic plants
Biotechnology plants
Furnaces for petrochemical plants and refineries

The Engineering Division

and its subsidiaries manufacture:
Packaged units, coldboxes
Coil-wound heat exchangers
Plate-fin heat exchangers
Cryogenic standard tanks
Air-heated vaporizers
Spiral-welded aluminium pipes

More than 4,000 plants worldwide document the leading position of the Engineering Division in international
plant construction.

Linde Impianti Italia S.L.R.

Rome, Italy
Phone +39.066.5613-1
Fax
+39.066.5613-200
impiantiitalia@linde-le.com

Linde Engineering Dresden GmbH

Dresden, Germany
Phone +49.351.250-30
Fax
+49.351.250-4800
ledd@linde-le.com

Linde Kryotechnik AG
Pfungen, Switzerland
Phone +41.52.3040-555
Fax
+41.52.3040-550
kryotechnik@linde-le.com

SELAS-LINDE GmbH
Pullach, Germany
Phone +49.89.7447-470
Fax
+49.89.7447-4717
selaslinde@linde-le.com

Bertrams Heatec AG
Pratteln, Switzerland
Phone +41.61.467-7525
Fax
+41.61.467-7500
bertramsheatec@linde-le.com

Cryostar SAS
Hsingue, France
Phone +33.389.70-2727
Fax
+33.389.70-2777
info@cryostar.com

CRYO AB
Gothenburg, Sweden
Phone +46.3164-6800
Fax
+46.3164-2220
cryo@linde-le.com

Linde CryoPlants, Ltd.

Aldershot, United Kingdom
Phone +44.1252.3313-51
Fax
+44.1252.3430-62
lindecryoplants@linde-le.com

Linde Process Plants, Inc.

Tulsa, OK, U.S.A.
Phone +1.918.4771-200
Fax
+1.918.4771-100
lpp@linde-le.com

Linde Engineering
North America, Inc.
Blue Bell, PA, U.S.A.
Phone +1.610.834-0300
Fax
+1.610.834-0473
lena@linde-le.com
Hydro-Chem
Holly Springs, GA, U.S.A.
Phone +1.770.345-2222
Fax
+1.770.345-2778
hydrochem@linde-le.com
Linde Engenharia do Brasil Ltda.
So Paulo, Brazil
Phone +55.21.3545-2255
Fax
+55.21.3545-2257
braziloffice@linde-le.com
Linde Process Plants (Pty), Ltd.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Phone +27.11.490-0513
Fax
+27.11.490-0412
southafrica@linde-le.com
Moscow Rep. Office
Moscow, Russia
Phone +7.495.642-6242
Fax
+7.495.642-6243
moscowoffice@linde-le.com

Linde Engineering RUS, OOO

Samara, Russia
Phone +7.846.331-3355
lerus@linde-le.com
Linde Arabian Contracting Co., Ltd.
Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Phone +966.3.887-1191
Fax
+966.3.887-0133
lac@linde-le.com
Linde Arabian Contracting Co., Ltd.
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Phone +966.1.419-1193
Fax
+966.1.419-1384
lac@linde-le.com
Linde Engineering Middle East LLC
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Phone +971.2.6981-400
Fax
+971.2.6981-499
leme@linde-le.com
Linde Engineering India Pvt., Ltd.
Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Phone +91.265.3056-789
Fax
+91.265.2461-757
india@linde-le.com

Linde AG
Engineering Division, Head office, Dr.-Carl-von-Linde-Strasse 6-14, 82049 Pullach, Germany
Phone +49.89.7445-0, Fax +49.89.7445-4908, E-Mail: info@linde-le.com, www.linde-engineering.com

Linde Engineering Far East, Ltd.

Seoul, South Korea
Phone +82.2780-0954
Fax
+82.2780-0958
fareast@linde-le.com
Linde Engineering (Dalian)
Co., Ltd.
Dalian, P.R. of China
Phone +86.411.3953-8819
Fax
+86.411.3953-8899
led@linde-le.com
Linde Engineering (Hangzhou)
Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou, P.R. of China
Phone +86.571.8501-9222
Fax
+86.571.8501-9200
leh@linde-le.com
Beijing Rep. Office
Beijing, P.R. of China
Phone +86.10.6437-7014
Fax
+86.10.6437-6718
beijingoffice@linde-le.com
Linde Engineering Taiwan Branch
Taipei, Taiwan
Phone +886.2.2786-3131
Fax
+886.2.2652-5871
taiwanoffice@linde-le.com

LNG/1.1.e/13

Linde Engineering Schalchen Plant

Tacherting, Germany
Phone +49.8621.85-0
Fax
+49.8621.85-6620
schalchenplant@linde-le.com