Bilfinger And Cryotec Agree To Partner Up In The LNG Sector

• Collaboration covers full spectrum of services for setting up small-scale LNG facilities
• Market position in the LNG sector strengthened
• Use of LNG curtails CO₂ emissions

The industrial services provider Bilfinger continues to expand its activities in the field of small-scale liquid natural gas (SSLNG). In collaboration with Cryotec Anlagenbau GmbH, the Bilfinger subsidiary Bilfinger EMS has developed a concept for processing small gas volumes into LNG. This includes treating gas derived from various sources, supplying the corresponding liquefaction technology, and providing LNG for further use in Europe.

Karsten Hoffhaus, managing director of Bilfinger EMS: “As part of this partnership, we will be able to provide all the required services throughout the entire lifecycle from under one roof – from the LNG facilities’ planning all the way to their installation. This will give a sustained boost to our position on the market.”

Liquid natural gas (or LNG for short) frequently is in demand at locations that are far from a major import terminal. Accordingly, facilities that are able to produce the fuel locally in smaller quantities and to deliver it where it is needed will play an ever more important role in the future. This is because small, modular liquefaction facilities enable a reliable and uninterrupted supply chain, from the gas source straight to the end consumer.

Corinne Ziege, managing director of Cryotec Anlagenbau: “We are looking forward to working together with Bilfinger EMS. Our combined expertise will allow us to offer customers an end-to-end solution for small-scale LNG facilities, customized to their requirements and ‘made in Germany’.” Cryotec specializes in cryogenic air-fractionation and liquefaction facilities, for which it provides its own in-house engineering and fabrication services.

The use of LNG as fuel is gaining ground in many industrial and commercial sectors, given that it emits fewer pollutants than diesel or heavy crude oil. For example, replacing diesel with LNG in the transport sector can achieve a 25 percent reduction in the greenhouse gases emitted by heavy trucks and tractor trailers.