Reliquefaction technology selected for Italy’s first small-scale LNG terminal

Manufactured in the workshops of Air Liquide’s Campus Technologies Grenoble in 2020, the cryogenic unit was installed at the Sardinian coastal depot at the end of the year. Start-up has been completed, and the unit is operational.

Air Liquide’s reliquefication solution works by pumping the LNG, which is then subjected to a sub-cooling process before being returned to the tank, avoiding evaporation. Air Liquide said its cryogenic solution is simple, reliable and ready to use, requiring maintenance every five years.

Designed to withstand outdoor use in a saline atmosphere, the Turbo-Brayton unit chosen for the project is a TBF-350 capable of reliquefying half a tonne of LNG per hour according to the needs of the depot. It is part of a complete range covering capacities up to more than 3 t/h.

Air Liquide says this project opens a new market for its Turbo-Brayton cryogenic units, with the emergence of the small-scale LNG terminals market. It has already sold more than 50 units for ships worldwide.

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