能源巨头将把更环保液化天然气引入市场

据油价网休斯顿报道，由于全球液化天然气需求在可预见的未来将继续增加，供应“更绿色LNG”可能会让生产商在这个蓬勃发展的市场上占据优势。法国油气巨头道达尔公司和德国西门子公司天然气和电力部门时下正在合作进行研究，这两家公司届时都将从中受益匪浅。

减少LNG液化设施的温室气体排放，提高LNG液化厂可靠性、可维护性、遵守法规和减少开发成本是两家公司这项研究的目标。随着政府严格的法规和企业指令的出台，脱碳LNG的生产可以满足对这种燃料的更多需求。作为最清洁的化石燃料，欧盟委员会将其视为减少排放和应对气候变化的极佳替代能源。

正如我们看到的绿色氢，一些国家已经开始承诺投资数十亿美元来应对气候变化。为了实现这些目标，美国一直特别青睐LNG，这是因为美国国内的天然气供应充足，足以增加出口。

麦肯锡公司预测，到2035年底前，全球天然气和LNG市场将继续以每年3.6%的速度扩大。

法国能源巨头道达尔公司近年来一直在扩大其能源投资组合，其中LNG被列为优先项目。5月份，道达尔公司为莫桑比克的一个LNG项目筹集了150亿美元，用于计划在6月份的签约。这个项目的投资额将扩大到230亿美元，成为非洲迄今最大的私人投资，项目融资将与大约20家银行绑定。这个项目将把天然气冷却成液体用于出口。

西门子公司看到了LNG的巨大潜力，并采取了另一个主要联盟。西门子公司为巴西里约热内卢的综合LNG发电项目新联合循环发电厂找到了股权投资伙伴。西门子公司与巴西Prumo物流公司和石油巨头英国石油公司各拥有项目公司Gas Natural Acu (GNA)的三分之一的股份。

西门子公司将受益于探索在滚动系统中燃气轮机压缩生产线的新研究。西门子公司旗下总部位于休斯顿的天然气和电力部门生产用于发电的产品，如燃气和蒸汽涡轮机、发电机、涡轮机组件和定制OEM电厂解决方案。

这项新研究将考虑使用燃气轮机和电动驱动的压缩生产线，结合已证明的单混合制冷和双混合制冷技术，用于动力传动系统和电力系统的冷却功能。另一个正在探索的方法是开发旨在提高现场发电设施效率的技术；这可能包括热回收系统、进气口空气冷却、辅助燃烧、可再生能源整合和电池存储。

西门子公司能源石油天然气部门首席执行官Thorbjoern Fors说：“该部门将通过应用久经考验的设备解决方案以及在项目的早期概念开发和前端工程设计时通过向客户提供金融、技术开发和战略支持来致力于支持LNG工业减少碳排放的努力。”“我们很自豪能够继续与道达尔公司合作，努力实现LNG厂排放的最低水平，并实现LNG生产的最高可持续性。”

作为协议的一部分，西门子公司将在LNG厂设计中研究探索液化和发电的可能性。最终的目标是实现LNG的脱碳生产。但这两家公司表示，其他效率也是总体目标的一部分。这将包括利用数字化和自动化平台来优化LNG厂设计，实现无缝项目执行。

西门子公司认为，人工智能、数字双胞胎和预测分析等数字技术的应用，为LNG开发商和运营商提供可观的收益以及提高其设施的经济可行性。参与北极圈内的哈默菲斯特LNG厂的西门子公司已经能够转移LNG厂的计划外停机时间。西门子公司开发了一种先进的数字系统，可以对整个系统进行监控并迅速做出反应，以保证系统有效运行。

李峻 编译自 油价网

原文如下：

Energy Giants To Bring Greener LNG To The Market

As global LNG demand continues to grow into the foreseeable future, supplying ‘greener LNG’ could give producers an edge in this burgeoning market. French oil and gas giant Total and Siemens Gas and Power division are conducting studies that could greatly benefit each company.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions at LNG liquefaction facilities, and improving plant reliability, maintainability, regulatory compliance and development costs, are targets for the study. Decarbonizing LNG production can feed into more demand for the fuel with stringent government regulations and corporate mandates kicking in. Being considered the cleanest fossil fuel, the European Commission sees it as an excellent alternative energy to reduce emissions and combat climate change.

As we’re seeing with green hydrogen, several countries have started committing billions of dollars in a bid to combat climate change. The US has been particularly fond of LNG to meet these targets — and as the domestic gas supply is ample enough to grow exports.

McKinsey & Co. forecasts that the global gas and LNG market will continue to expand 3.6 percent each year through 2035.

Total has been expanding its energy portfolio in recent years, with LNG being prioritized. Last month, Total was able to round up $15 billion for an LNG-project in Mozambique for a signing scheduled in June. It will be expanding to $23 billion and make up Africa’s largest private investment yet, binding in about 20 banks. The project will chill natural gas into a liquid for export.

Siemens sees great potential in LNG, having taken on another major alliance. The company found equity investment partners for a new combined cycle power plant for the integrated LNG-to-Power project in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Siemens owns one-third of project company Gás Natural A?u (GNA) with Brazil logistics company Prumo Logística S.A. and oil major BP.

Siemens will benefit from the new study’s exploration of gas turbine compression trains in rolling systems. Its Houston-based Gas and Power unit produces products for power generation, such as gas and steam turbines, generators, turbine packages, and tailored OEM power plant solutions.

The new study will look into using gas turbine- and electric-driven compression trains in conjunction with proven single-mixed refrigerant and double-mixed refrigerant technologies for the coolant function in drivetrain and power systems. Another method being explored is developing techniques to improve the efficiency of onsite power generation facilities; that might include heat recovery systems, inlet air chilling, supplementary firing, renewables integration, and battery storage.

“Siemens Gas and Power is committed to supporting the LNG industry’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions through the application of proven equipment solutions and by providing financial, technical development, and strategic support to customers in the early concept development and pre-front-end engineering design (FEED) stages of projects,” said Thorbjoern Fors, CEO for Siemens Energy Oil & Gas Division. “We are proud to continue these efforts by partnering with Total to drive towards the lowest possible plant emissions profile and attain the highest degree of sustainability in LNG production.”

As part of the agreement, Siemens in conducting studies to explore possible liquefaction and power generation in plant designs. The endgame here will be hitting targets for decarbonizing LNG production. But other efficiencies are part of the overall goals, according to the two companies. That will include leveraging digitalization and automation platforms to optimize plant design and achieve seamless project execution.

Siemens thinks that application of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, and predictive analytics, offer substantial gains for LNG developers and operators to improve the economic viability of their facilities. Participating in the Hammerfest LNG plant above the Arctic Circle, Siemens has been able to divert unplanned downtime in the plant. Siemens developed an advanced digital system that monitors and rapidly responds to the entire system to keep it operating efficiently.