Guest Column
By: Rafael Fernández
FCC Industrial
Manager of the LNG and
Industrial Projects Division
FCC Industrial has the capabilities and the
technical and human resources necessary
for designing, building, operating and main-
taining different types of industrial project,
including natural gas regassification plants,
liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facilities,
and renewable energy production plants
(thermosolar and photovoltaic).
We are able, with these projects, to bring
energy to citizens and industries, promoting
local economic growth and the market sy-
nergies, all within the framework of sustaina-
bility and socially responsible growth.
In respect of liquefied natural gas, FCC In-
dustrial has broad experience in building
LNG tanks. It is the company that has built
the most number of thanks of this type in
Spain (seven projects in the last twelve
years) and is also currently involved in seve-
ral projects in Europe and America.
These types of facilities are built in industrial
port areas due to the strategic location that
facilitate its transport and distribution to the
regions where there is demand.
Liquefied natural gas from methane tankers
are downloaded at the LNG storage plants.
The process is performed when the gas is in
a liquid state since its volume is 600 times
less than in its gas form. In order to maintain
the gas in liquid form, the temperature of the
tanks must be 163º C below zero.
The tanks are built following the Total Con-
tainment System (Double Containment).
Each tank is built with an internal cryogenic
steel tank (containing 9% of nickel) and an
external deposit consisting of a steel en-
closure and prestressed concrete wall, also
with cryogenic properties.
Once natural gas has been stored in its liquid
form, it is transformed into gas by means of
a vaporizer system (regassification process)
and is then injected into the gas pipeline net-
work for its consumption.
Natural gas is an environmentally-friendly
fuel that can replace other petroleum-deri-
ved fuels in the industry, in energy produc-
tion, sea transport, and is a fuel that contri-
wagering on the future
worldwide
Liquefied natural gas tanks;
