Enagás orders compressors for Spanish LNG terminal

Gijon, Spain - Spanish energy company Enagás has awarded a contract to supply three compressors to a LNG receiving terminal in northern Spain. During mid-2010, Burckhardt Compression is to deliver three Laby (labyrinth piston) compressors for the terminal that is part of the new regasification plant in the port of El Musel in Gijon.

The new installation will have an initial storage capacity of 300,000m3 of LNG.  This will be split between two storage tanks, 150,000m3 of LNG in each, with a total emission capacity of 800,000m3 of natural gas per hour.  The docking terminal is specifically designed for gas tankers carrying LNG loads of up to 260,000m3. Two more storage tanks, which will take the final emission capacity up to 1,200,000m3 of natural gas per hour, will be built at a later date.

Laby compressors compress bone-dry, dirty, abrasive and other gases with no contamination and without oil, with a discharge pressure up to 300 bar (4,350psi), flow up to 11,000Nm3/h (6,500scfm) and shaft power up to 2,200kW (3,000HP). They are designed to provide an ultra-low maintenance piston-sealing design and are suitable for low-temperature boil-off gas applications, said Burckhardt.

The gastight design is claimed to reduce gas emission and losses to the environment to zero.  The compressors will be used to re-liquefy boil-off gas, which forms during LNG unloading of the LNG carriers and to maintain the LNG storage temperature at -170°C.

Burckhardt  previously delivered several Laby compressors for a similar LNG storage and distribution plant in Barcelona, which is also operated by Enagás.