fos cavaou lng terminal: a new major import gate for europe conferences/2007... · fos cavaou lng...
TRANSCRIPT
Poster PO-02
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FOS CAVAOU LNG TERMINAL: A NEW MAJOR IMPORT GATE FOR EUROPE
Francis Cazalet Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavaou
Gaz de France [email protected]
Christian Brissard Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavaou
Total [email protected]
Emmanuel Flesch GRT gaz – Centre d’Ingénierie
Projet Fos Cavaou Gaz de France
Patrice Guéry Gaz de France - Major Infrastructures Division -
Liquefied Gases Section Gaz de France
ABSTRACT
Thanks to flexibility and source diversity, LNG is improving its market share in Europe. With the aim of balancing natural gas flows between the north and south of France and facilitating French and European market access from new Middle East and Mediterranean sources, especially from Egypt, the Gaz de France Major Infrastructures Division decided to build a third LNG terminal in the industrial port area of Fos-sur-Mer. Total entered in the project in 2005, and the Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavaou, a subsidiary of Gaz de France and Total, will handle commercial management of terminal capacities. Operation and maintenance will be carried out by Gaz de France through an O&M contract. Ideally located, at the heart of advantageous infrastructures, the Fos Cavaou LNG terminal will be a new major import gate for Europe.
With forty years of experience in LNG, Gaz de France has favoured safety and environmental protection in project design. To live up to the public's expectations, Gaz de France has designed and modified the project in order to reduce visual and environmental impact. Location advantages and effective choices are made explicit. With an investment slightly upper than 400 million euros, the Fos Cavaou terminal will receive 8.25 billion m3 of natural gas per year with a 2,100 m3/h LNG send-out flow rate. Situated on an 800,000 m2 tract of land, it comprises one berth, three 110,000 m3 LNG tanks and will exclusively use sea water vaporizers in order to minimize CO2 emissions.
Following the bidding process, at the end of May 2004, Gaz de France entrusted terminal construction to an experimented joint venture by means of an EPC contract. Start up is scheduled at the end of 2007. Construction phases are described below.
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INTRODUCTION
The increase in demand for natural gas in France and in Europe is continuing in a steady and long-term manner and requires new supply sources to complement traditional existing ones: Algeria, the Netherlands, Norway, the North Sea, Russia and Nigeria. Supply security is also a very important factor which has led European importers to turn toward new exporting nations, if possible relatively close by, either in the Mediterranean basin in the case of Egypt, or in the Middle East for Qatar, Oman, and in the future Yemen. Finally, it is important to have a good geographic distribution of entry points for natural gas into the European network, to obtain a greater technical efficiency for the existing network, and to reduce costs for end clients.
It was in order to satisfy these different criteria that Gaz de France, the European leader in LNG imports, in 2001 began preliminary studies and then construction of a third LNG terminal in France, on the Mediterranean coast: the LNG Terminal of Fos Cavaou. This Terminal is indeed strategically located to receive LNG arriving from the Mediterranean and from countries such as Egypt, Algeria, or the Middle East, and to constitute a new supply source for the southern zone of France and Europe.
This new terminal was designed for a capacity of 8.25 billion m3 in its initial phase, with the possibility of extending capacity to 16.5 billion m3 in a final phase. It features three 110,000 m3 storage tanks and an unloading facility capable of berthing ships from 60,000 m3 to more than 200,000 m3. The cooling down process and start-up operations are scheduled to begin in late 2007 and industrial operations will begin in the first quarter of 2008.
The Fos Cavaou LNG Terminal is located in the port of Fos-sur-Mer, which is part of the Port Autonome de Marseille, close to the oil terminal. It is situated only a few kilometers from the existing LNG terminal of Fos Tonkin, built and operated by Gaz de France since 1972. The possibilities for extending the existing terminal were studied but the limited space (17.5 hectares) and the configuration of the sea access, situated at the end of a shallow and fairly narrow harbor basin which limited the size of methane tankers to 60 or 75,000 m3, led Gaz de France to prefer the construction of a new LNG terminal also situated in the port of Fos-sur-Mer at the site called “le Cavaou”.
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Figure 1 General aerial view of the site (Photo Altivue)
Following agreements signed at the start of 2005 between Gaz de France, the initial project developer, and the TOTAL Company, TOTAL acquired a share of the project. A joint subsidiary was created in 2006: the Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavaou (STMFC), owner of the terminal and in charge of completing construction and then managing the operation of regasification capacities. The STMFC contracted operations and maintenance to the Major Infrastructures Division of Gaz de France, which already operates the Gaz de France terminals at Montoir-de-Bretagne and at Fos-sur-Mer. The Fos Cavaou LNG Terminal will benefit from the extensive and widely recognized experience of Gaz de France, which has been operating LNG terminals for over 40 years.
On the basis of the experience of Gaz de France in the area of LNG import terminals, the principal criteria guiding the design and construction of the terminal are safety and security, environment friendly, reliability, simplicity, and reduced construction and operating costs. The following chapters detail the choices made in order to meet these criteria and to provide shippers with an LNG terminal which is attractive at the European level.
LOCATION-ACCESS
The selected site of Fos Cavaou, an artificial peninsula in an industrial zone within the territory of Port Autonome de Marseille, is particularly favorable for the construction of this large-capacity LNG terminal and it is perfectly suited for receiving the largest current and future LNG tankers of 200,000 or even 250,000 m3.
The site benefited from an available surface of 80 hectares and the proximity of an existing deepwater oil tanker pier intended for ULCCs (Ultra Large Crude Carriers). Port Autonome de Marseille agreed to make this jetty available to the new LNG terminal for use as a dedicated LNG berth.
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Figure 2 General aerial view of the jetty foundations (Photo Altivue)
Sea access is by the Gulf of Fos through a large six nautical mile-long channel which is 25 meters deep and more than one nautical mile wide. It leads to a harbor basin which is 16 meters deep and one kilometer wide and which contains the pier protected by a breakwater. A turning circle of over 700 meters is situated in the basin facing the berth. Sea conditions are very favorable since the pier is aligned with the axis of predominant winds and very well protected from swell and waves, notably during strong northwesterly winds (Mistral). This terminal also benefits from the infrastructure and services of the Port Autonome de Marseille, including VTS movement control (Vessel Transit System), towing, piloting, boatage, and safety services (fireboats and FI-FI tugboat).
The terrain on the peninsula of Cavaou at the site of the terminal is composed of landfill from the dredging of the basins by the Autonomous Port in the 1970’s. It is relatively flat and homogeneous, consisting of a 13 to 14-meter layer of sand and pebbles over a thick layer of hard ground called cailloutis de la Crau, a conglomerate of pebbles in which are anchored the foundations of all the terminal’s facilities.
Access to the site is by a bridge connecting the peninsula to the continent and a single road which runs along the Fos marina and beaches. In order to avoid congestion on the bridge during construction, notably during the summer season, a temporary floating bridge was put into place to facilitate river boat traffic in the channel from Fos to Port de Bouc. Since the site is in an industrial zone close to other industrial sites called “Classified Installations for the Protection of the Environment”, the authorities asked Gaz de France to build a second access bridge to the peninsula for emergency access in the event of a major accident or to facilitate evacuation of the area. This private bridge
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restricted to emergency access is under construction and must be finished for the start of terminal operations at the end of 2007.
The terminal will be linked to the natural gas transport network at the Saint Martin de Crau interconnection station located at approximately 30 kilometers from the site by a 48-inch diameter pipeline operated at 90 bars. This pipeline is currently being constructed by GRT Gaz, a subsidiary of Gaz de France, which is an operator of high-pressure transmission networks.
DESIGN
In order to optimize the design of its third terminal, Gaz de France called upon its own resources, nourished by 40 years of experience in the LNG field. The principal competences required to complete terminal design (engineering and operations) were grouped together into a dedicated team. The files required for the permitting and consultations were elaborated during the basic and feasibility studies.
The choice of the Cavaou peninsula site fully meets the objectives set by Gaz de France, namely:
• the safety of surrounding populations and industrial installations,
• the safety and security of LNG tankers at all times (fairway navigation, berthing, unloading),
• the safety of operational staff and site security,
• the reduction of environmental impact,
• a simplicity of design based on proven solutions which leads to excellent availability,
• the reception of the largest LNG tankers,
• an optimized installation which offers all guarantees of safety and ease of operation and maintenance, and facilitates extensions,
• the optimization of investment (Capex) and operating (Opex) costs.
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Figure 3 General aerial view of the tanks (Photo Altivue)
The initial capacity of the Fos Cavaou terminal will be 8.25 109 m3 (standard) /year, or 6.6 million tons per year. The berth features four 16” arms equipped with a quick release system. The unloading lines between the berth and the storage tanks ensure a flow of 12,750 m3/hour of LNG. These lines are kept cold between unloadings by a permanent recirculation of LNG.
Figure 4 Unloading line in pipe-way (Photo: G Detaille)
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Given the limited height, the terminal is equipped with three 110,000 m3 storage tanks instead of two having initially an upper forecasted capacity. These “full containment” type tanks are equipped with three low pressure submerged pumps each. Eight high pressure send-out pumps and four open-rack vaporizers provide a guaranteed flow rate of 2,070 m3/h.
Figure 5 Tank roof assembly (Photo: G Detaille)
Figure 6 Internal structure of the tank roof (Photo : Médiathèque GDF)
The other facilities are designed using current good engineering practices: for example, the control room building is blast-proof.
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As far as possible, the number of valves is minimized and the pipes are placed into pipe-ways. Boil off gas is recovered using cryogenic compressors and a recondenser. Possible LNG leaks are collected and controlled in specific impounding areas. Recommended European LNG standards are applied in the Cavaou project (principally EN 1473 “design of onshore installations”). Distances between facilities have been determined during risk assessment in order to minimize radiation effects. The terminal is designed and will be operated so as to minimize environmental effects such as greenhouse gases. The terminal will operate without flaring or venting of natural gas in normal operating conditions. Systems for major risk prevention (European directive titled “SEVESO II”), health, safety and security management, and environmental protection will be implemented at the Cavaou terminal and will be based on established quality benchmarks already used in the other terminals operated by Gaz de France (such as ISO standards).
CONSTRUCTION
Contract allocation:
For the construction of the Fos Cavaou LNG Terminal, Gaz de France retained the principle of the “turnkey contract” (EPCC), which covers detailed studies, supply of materials and equipment, and contracts for construction and launch of operations.
The qualification and selection of bidders was conducted in accordance with community directives of the European Community relative to procedures governing contract allocations in the sector of Water, Energy, Transportation and Telecommunications.
A periodical notice of call to tender was published in the Official Bulletin of the European Community on 27th November 2001. Ten companies submitted their application at that time and received selection files in January 2002.
Among the three companies which responded to the consultation, only two met the selection criteria. A call for tender was sent to these two bidders in August 2002. The technical and commercial proposals were received in late November 2002 and were the object of analysis by the Owner until February 2003.
The bidding procedure was then suspended in February 2003. In fact, administrative procedures conducted in parallel with this consultation, as well as the first local reactions to the project, led the Owner to decide to introduce modifications to the initial project in order to respond to demands related to environmental issues which were expressed during the public survey, notably the reduction to 39 meters of the height of LNG storage tanks.
The bidders then emitted in December 2003 revised technical and commercial proposals in order to address the new technical specifications of the project which had been communicated to them in September 2003.
Analysis of proposals and clarification of reservations were conducted until March 2004. Negotiations were conducted with the two bidders which made it possible to eliminate all reservations, both technical and contractual.
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Price offers were received in March 2004. The contract was awarded to the most economically advantageous offer based on the following elements:
• the set price of the “turnkey contract”,
• the price of a scenario of supplemental work involving unit costs for materials and equipment and services mentioned in the contract,
• the operating costs of the technical solutions taking into account the gas and electric consumption of the facility specified by the bidders.
Following this consultation, the EPCC contract for the Fos Cavaou LNG Terminal was awarded to the Sofregaz - Saipem- SN Technigaz Group.
The EPCC contract was signed on 17th May 2004. The Contracting Party committed to operational delivery of the project within a period of 37 months from the date of emission of the order to begin work by the Owner.
Project construction:
The order to begin work was emitted on 28th June 2004. Key dates of the first phase of the project were the following:
• 6th July 2004: Beginning of basic and detailed studies,
• 5th October 2004: Start of earth-moving work at the Cavaou site,
• 23rd December 2004: First long-term equipment order (open-rack vaporizer),
• 21st February 2005: Drilling for first LNG storage tank foundation pile.
Figure 7 Construction of open rack vaporizers and recondenser (Photo: G Detaille)
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Figure 8 Open rack vaporizer detail (Photo: G Detaille)
In April 2005, the French Ministry for the Environment and Sustainable Growth informed Gaz de France that the magnitude of the Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) which had to be considered for the dimensioning of the project had been modified from 6.0 to 6.5. The increase of accelerations in the event of such an earthquake results in a significant increase in the thickness of layers of liquefiable ground.
Since this change in the seismic variable had a considerable impact on the design of the LNG terminal, the Owner was forced to suspend construction. This decision took effect when the project had reached the following stage of completion:
• 40 % of studies including 70% for LNG storage tanks,
• 26 % of purchases of materials and equipment,
• 50 % of construction contracts,
In terms of construction, more than 540 LNG storage tank piles were in place, i.e. all piles of tank #1 and 50% of piles for tank #2.
The new seismic requirements led the Owner to ask the Contractor to revise all studies concerning materials and equipment which must, according to the Operating Permit, remain stable or integral or operational during and after a SSE.
The principal modifications of the project which resulted were the following:
Facilities required retaining their stability or their integrity during and after a SSE:
• Storage tanks:
Foundations: The reinforcement of the piles had to be revised. None of the 540 piles already in place could be used as foundations for the tanks. Pile
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tops were removed so they would not interfere with the concrete slab of the tank. Internal tank: The thickness of the sheet metal of the 2nd shell of 9% nickel
steel had to be increased. Procedure platform: this platform situated on the tank roof had to be re-
sized.
• Berth and jetty:
The pier was the subject of a stability study which determined its ability to resist an earthquake. However, injections of solid mortar were made in the ground at the back of the pier in order to make the ground non-liquefiable and thereby eliminate dynamic pressure on the pier resulting from post-liquefaction flow after a SSE. Given that this post-liquefaction flow would also provoke a partial collapse of the jetty, the foundations of facilities situated on the jetty were modified. Rectangular-section bars replaced the piles initially planned for the construction of: The pipe-racks leading from the piers to the terminal flares, The foundations of the superstructures supporting the unloading arm platform.
• Flares:
The structures and drums were re-dimensioned to meet the new SSE.
• Boil-off gas recondenser:
The foundations were revised. The metal structure of the recondenser was modified by the addition of stiffeners and an increase in the number of anchor bolts used to attach the structure to its slab.
• Odorization :
The foundations of the odorization facility were revised. The anchors of the full containment storage tanks were calculated to the SSE, taking into account the new liquefaction levels.
• Security buildings, Control Room, buildings housing the Automated Safety
System (similar to ESD):
All the foundations of these structures were revised, which entailed an increase in the reinforcement rate of the foundations. In addition, modifications were made to the structures housing the high-pressure LNG pumps and the open-rack vaporizers.
Facilities required remaining operational during and after an SSE:
The Operating Permit was granted by the Administration under the condition that certain vital functions of the LNG terminal remain operational during and after an SSE. Following the new studies, modifications were made notably concerning the following material and equipment:
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• The control-command system and the ESD.
• The emergency electrical supply: the new accelerations were taken into account in re-dimensioning the power generators as well as their foundations.
• Lighting required for site security: additional cable was added to extend power supply lines in order to compensate for movements due to earthquakes.
• Fire-fighting equipment: studies carried out for the new 6.5 magnitude SSE revealed that ground settling following liquefaction along the fire extinguishing network was decimetric where it was only millimetric for the initial SSE of 6.0. This resulted in a modification of the fire extinguishing network which notably integrated flexible connectors between the elements of the fire extinguishing network attached to structures with deep foundations and the underground network which is subject to ground movement.
• The terminal flare stack and its network. The bar-type foundations retained for the jetty pipe-racks provide a guarantee that the flare network will remain operational following an SSE, like the flare stack itself which is situated in a non-liquefiable zone.
Figure 9 Tank platform construction (Photo: G Detaille)
The change in magnitude of the Safe Shutdown Earthquake, which intervened 10 months after the emission by the Owner of the order to begin work, led to a total 8 months extension of the construction schedule. The new schedule is thus as follows:
• Industrial operation: January 2007,
• Operational delivery of the Project: March 2008.
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At a glance, the construction of the Fos Cavaou LNG Terminal represents:
• 700,000 study hours.
• 240 orders of material, equipment and work contracts.
• 1,400 workers on site during peak periods.
Given the numerous simultaneous activities occurring during construction, safety was a major issue for the project. To this end, the Owner implemented a contest intended to reward with a bonus each month teams which had the best performance in terms of safety.
CONCLUSION
The Fos Cavaou LNG Terminal is one of the largest industrial worksites currently in progress in France.
The construction of this terminal shows the willpower of Gaz de France to increase terminalling activity which improves the security of supply sources and contributes to the development of the European natural gas market.
The terminal will be operational as of 2008. The general conditions of the access to the terminal are available on the website of the Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavou:
www.cavaou-gnl.com
This website presents the different steps of the terminal construction, its integration in the environment and its numerous initiatives which favour the development of local employment.
Figure 10 Tank foundation reinforcement (Photo: G Detaille)
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AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Francis Cazalet (Gaz de France) Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavaou 39, Rue de Lyon BP90120 13317 Marseille Cedex France Phone : +33491283315 Fax : +33491283472 e-mail : [email protected]
Christian Brissard (Total)
Société du Terminal Méthanier de Fos Cavaou 39, Rue de Lyon BP90120 13317 Marseille Cedex France Phone : +33491283414 Fax : +33491283472 e-mail : [email protected]
Emmanuel Flesch (Gaz de France)
GRT gaz – Centre d’Ingénierie Projet Fos Cavaou 92-98 Boulevard Victor Hugo 92110 Clichy France Phone : +33141063080 Fax : +33141068700 e-mail : [email protected]
Patrice Guéry (Gaz de France)
Gaz de France - Major Infrastructures Division - Liquefied Gases Section 14 - 16, rue Touzet Gaillard TSA 80005 93486 Saint Ouen France Tél. +33 1 71 86 16 93 Fax +33 1 71 86 17 00 e-mail : [email protected]