Before raw natural gas, composed primarily of methane, can be liquefied, components such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water have to be removed.
Only then is natural gas cooled to its liquefaction point (–162°C), enabling it to be transported by boat or truck. Liquefying natural gas reduces its volume over 600-fold.
Another advantage of LNG is that, unlike the gaseous state, it is not restricted to pipelines for long-distance transport. Loaded with cryogenic liquefied natural gas, tank ships carry their cargo to LNG terminals on land.
From here, the liquid gas is shipped by truck to various destinations. LNG may be converted back to a gaseous state in the LNG terminal and pumped to pipelines for further transport. Our Engineering Division also supports this process by constructing regasification plants all over the world.
Natural gas liquefaction plants are one of our core enterprises. We engineer these LNG plants in a variety of sizes for the widest range of applications.
Our most impressive reference project here is Europe’s largest LNG plant at Hammerfest, Norway. Designed and constructed by Linde, it was opened by the Norwegian petroleum company StatoilHydro at the end of September 2007.
The plant separates CO2 contained in natural gas and pipelines it back into storage 300 metres below ground. The energy required to produce LNG is generated by highly efficient gas turbines, which significantly reduce emissions levels.
Across the entire value chain, Linde delivers a wide range of process technologies aimed at raising efficiency levels or reducing emissions. Prime examples include onboard reliquefaction of LNG on tank ships, and Floating Production, Storage and Offloading units (FPSO).
