Trelleborg collaborates with LNG companies on jettyless gas transfers
The system focuses on flexibility in order to create an alternative to traditional LNG transfer techniques.
Trelleborg announced the successful test of the Universal Transfer System (UTS) conducted with Connect LNG and Gas Natural Fenosa, and it saying it provides evidence of the new applications that its suite of products for jettyless LNG transfer can unlock in this challenging field.
The UTS transferred LNG from the Skangas-chartered LNG carrier Coral Energy to the onshore terminal at the Norwegian port of Herøya on October 7 and is now in commercial operation. Calling it a ‘plug and play’ solution, Trelleborg says that UTS requires no modifications to the LNG carrier. Instead, the platform maneuvers offshore to meet a vessel, removing the need for costly and environmentally intensive dedicated small/medium-scale LNG vessel harbor and jetty structures.
The system consists of Trelleborg’s Cryoline LNG hoses, attached to a floating platform, which incorporates Trelleborg’s ship-shore link technology and a selection of its marine fender systems.
Vincent Lagarrigue, Director of Trelleborg’s oil and marine operation, commented: “The UTS shows that LNG infrastructure doesn’t need to be bound by the same thinking that underpins transfer solutions for fossil-based energy. Instead, it demonstrates how new ideas are creating the foundations for safe, efficient and convenient infrastructure that can keep pace with the rapid evolution of the LNG market, both as a power source and marine fuel.”
The company says that the UTS’ hose and platform can be retracted when not needed, or when harsh weather conditions would present hazards to the LNG platform. Trelleborg offers these platform-based solutions either as a standalone unit, or to enhance a larger terminal’s ability to handle deliveries to and from a broader range of vessels.
Multiple technologies are incorporated into the system. Cryoline is the first floating hose of its kind to receive EN1474-2 accreditation, using flexible rubber-bonded hose technology designed to minimize boil-off and withstand difficult environmental conditions. The safety of the system is provided by an integrated monitoring system using fiber-optic technology.
