• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Alfa Laval Receives Record Order for the Supply to a Liquid Natural Gas Plant

Posted on: Friday, 21 April 2006, 03:03 CDT

Alfa Laval (STO:ALFA) - a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling - has received an order for the supply of plate heat exchangers for a liquid natural gas (LNG*) plant in the Middle East.

"This is Alfa Laval's second major order in six months relating to liquid natural gas. The order shows the Middle East's increased importance to the World's supply of natural gas. It is a receipt of Alfa Laval's leading position," says CEO Lars Renstrom.

The Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers will be used for central cooling, using seawater to cool the liquid natural gas facility. The total order value is about SEK 240 million. Delivery will begin in 2007 and be completed in 2008.

* = Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)

Editor's notes:

Large demand in Liquid Natural Gas

Natural gas is a long lasting and environmentally friendly fossil fuel source. The demand of natural gas is continuously increasing, particularly in countries with strong economic expansion like China and India.

However, there is a geographical imbalance between supply and demand of natural gas. The largest gas reserves are located in the Middle East and Russia while the largest demands are found in North America, Europe and Asia. Therefore, natural gas has to be exported and transported, often long distances. This can be done in pipelines or, in liquid form, in transport carriers.

Transporting LNG

The pipeline exports still account for the largest part, but Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) chains are increasing rapidly. The LNG demand is expected to increase fivefold between 2000 and 2030.

In the LNG chain the gas is transported from the offshore platforms to a gas treatment and liquefaction plant. Here it is transformed into a liquid phase, before it is transported - with a temperature of minus 160 degrees Celsius - in a LNG ship.

At the reception terminal, the liquid is transformed into gas again in a regasification plant. There are currently around 140 ships which transport more than 120 million metric tons of LNG every year. Alfa Laval supplies plate heat exchangers to LNG facilities which enable cooling of fresh water by means of seawater.

Where is LNG used?

LNG is normally warmed to make natural gas to be used in heating and cooking as well as electricity generation and other industrial uses. LNG can also be kept as a liquid to be used as an alternative transportation fuel.

About Alfa Laval

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

The company's equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol. Alfa Laval's products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.

Alfa Laval's worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena.

Alfa Laval is listed on the Stockholm Exchange and, in 2005, posted annual sales of about SEK 16.5 billion (approx. 1.8 billion euros). The company has some 9,800 employees.

For further information, please visit the Alfa Laval website at www.alfalaval.com and read the background information "Closed loop cooling" under the "PRESS" ticker.

This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category