Twenty20 Energy to deploy floating LNG power barges in Papua New Guinea

Singapore-based Twenty20 Energy said it would deploy its floating LNG storage, regasification, and power solution in 12 locations across Papua New Guinea on behalf of Pawa PNG, a joint venture consisting of Dirio Gas & Power and the PNG government.

The Power Island FSRP solution features an “innovative design” that would serve as a model for future nearshore power generation plants in coastal regions worldwide, according to a statement by Twenty20.

Twenty20 said the Pawa PNG project would provide 283MW of “less expensive and more reliable electricity supply with significantly lower emissions, as it primarily replaces aging, inefficient diesel-based generation with modern, high efficiency LNG and heat recovery-based generation.”

Also, the project will provide additional generation capacity where it is needed most.

The company’s solution consists of three components, all supported by a comprehensive LNG fuel logistics solution. These include FSRP power barges, fuel barges, and floating piers.

The power barges will have power generators and regasification equipment where power generation from gas turbines and waste energy takes place, while the fuel barges feature LNG storage tanks that supply fuel to the gas turbines with 30 days of LNG supply and form the remote fuel bunkering solution.

Moreover, the floating piers moor the barges in each of the 12 locations with “minimal site impact”, Twenty20 said.

When in need of additional fuel, the fuel barges will travel to one of the three LNG bulk storage hubs, where they will be filled up and transported back to the floating pier, it said.

“Efficient and cost-effective solution”

The project represents what Twenty20 and PNG officials called “the most efficient and cost-effective solution to harness the country’s domestic LNG supply for powering the country, and supporting the goal of 70 percent electrification by 2030,” the statement said.

Twenty20 estimates that only 13 percent of PNG’s population have access to power, predominantly in the major cities, with electricity in remote locations typically provided by stand-alone diesel generators.

The 12 power islands will be located just offshore outside 12 cities, with three of the more strategic locations – Daru, Lae and Lihir – to also host LNG bulk storage facilities.

Futhermore, the nine other locations inlcude Manus Island, Buka Town, Kimbe, Alotau, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak, Kiunga, and Kikori, it said.

“Small-scale efficiency sets apart Twenty20’s FSRP; two specific unit sizes with differing outputs – ranging from 8.6 MW to 21.9 MW – will be used in each location,” the firm said.

Also, each power island can be modified according to its growth, so as a location grows, a larger unit can be brought in and the smaller unit would be moved to a new location.

From LNG to hydrogen

Twenty20 started design of the Power Island FSRP in 2018, and has since conducted both a full engineering and commercial study, as well as an independent engineering assessment to confirm the design’s validity.

The company’s intellectual property includes its plant and auxiliary configuration, combining power generation, fuel storage and bunkering, and transportation.

In the future, the Power Island FSRP solution can be converted from LNG to hydrogen fuel, according to the firm.

“Our Power Island FSRP design leverages the abundance of domestically produced LNG in Papua New Guinea, delivering a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution to power generation for coastal communities,” Geoff Lawrence, CEO of Twenty20, said in the statement.

PNG currently exports LNG via the PNG LNG plant, owned by ExxonMobil and Santos, as well as Kumul Petroleum, JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration, and MRDC.

TotalEnergies and partners are also working on the Papua LNG export development.

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