New System to Improve Efficiency and Safety at Norweigan LNG Plant

Yokogawa Norway has received an order to supply an operator training system (OTS) for a natural gas liquefaction plant that is being built in Tananger (near Stavanger), Norway.

The OTS is composed of the OmegaLand simulation engine and a safety and automation system (SAS) made up of the CENTUM VP Integrated Production Control System and the ProSafe-RS Safety Instrumented System. The OTS order has been placed with Yokogawa by Skangass AS, a joint venture between the Norwegian utility Lyse Gass and the finance firm Celsius Invest.

The new LNG facility will have an annual production capacity of 300,000 tons that will be supplied to customers throughout Scandinavia and the Baltic region beginning in 2010. Thanks to a highly energy-efficient liquefaction process developed by Linde, the new plant will feature much lower emissions than comparable facilities.

The OTS will use the same SAS as the actual plant, with identical graphics and alarm behaviour. This high-fidelity model of the LNG liquefaction process will behave exactly like the actual plant and allow plant upsets and equipment malfunctions to be simulated in an offline environment. This makes it possible for operators to repeat training so that they are always prepared for such situations.

According to Arne Sandstedt, Operations Manager at the Skangass LNG plant, the OTS will be instrumental in the training program for operators and contribute to safe start-up and efficient operation of the LNG plant. “Yokogawa has strong experience in LNG processes and their engineers understand our process. We look forward to completing the project and starting training.”

John van der Geer, Manager of Yokogawa’s Norwegian operations, added: “We are very pleased to expand our deliveries to Skangass. Since we already supplied the SAS and instrumentation, now with the OTS, the LNG plant will use nearly all Yokogawa products.”

The contract was awarded in May 2009 and the installation of the OTS will be completed in November 2009.