Aberdeen firm EnerMech is to turn its expertise to good use in a £36billion development which will deliver an estimated 8% of the world’s total liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
The mechanical engineering group said yesterday it had won “multimillion-dollar” contracts for the air drying and nitrogen purging of six gas storage tanks at the new Curtis Island LNG facilities in Queensland, Australia.
US-based construction and civil engineering giant Bechtel has asked EnerMech to provide pre-engineering, supervision, manpower and equipment for work on the tanks, which together hold the equivalent of 56 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Three LNG process plants currently under construction off the coast of Gladstone, Queensland, are aimed at meeting a forecasted 60% increase in global demand for the fuel by 2020 and a doubling of consumption – much of it in Asia – by 2030.
Annual worldwide demand for LNG currently stands at about 250million tonnes.
In addition to the air drying and nitrogen purging, EnerMech will undertake a range of pre-commissioning work across the three Curtis Island projects.
EnerMech Australia general manager Niall Conlon, hailed the contract wins as a significant milestone in strengthening the company’s reputation in Australia and providing an entry for the potential of EnerMech to execute similar scopes globally.
He said: “EnerMech’s credentials for working on large-scale LNG projects in Australia is well-established and we hope to replicate this success on other global LNG projects which are under construction.
“Our long-standing reputation in pipeline and process pre-commissioning work was a strong factor in initially engaging with Bechtel and winning the contract for the first two tanks, which led on to successfully tendering for the other contracts.”
EnerMech chief executive Doug Duguid added: “The Australian LNG market is a major focus as we grow our international footprint.
“The significant investment of $AUD 35million (£18million) we have made in the past three years in facilities, manpower and equipment, gives us a competitive advantage over other providers.”
EnerMech employs 2,400 staff globally, with approximately 525 in Australia working from facilities in Brisbane, Chinchilla, Gladstone, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sale.
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