US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG has completed raising the roof on the second storage tank at its Plaquemines LNG export plant in Louisiana.
According to a statement by Venture Global, this “major” project milestone was completed ahead of schedule and comes just seven weeks after the roof raising for tank one.
This is the second tank of four in total for Plaquemines LNG and will be capable of storing 200,000 cbm of LNG.
McDermott’s unit CB&I previously won a contract from a unit of Venture Global to build two LNG storage tanks as part of the first phase.
The roof of the first tank weighs 900 tons and is 294 feet (89.6 meters) in diameter.
Air raising allows for better and safer access as well as a faster construction schedule, as the roof can be erected concurrently with the shell.
Venture Global said the tank dome was raised in 71 minutes using 0.3 psi of pressure underneath the roof to a height of 130 feet.
Eventually, the tank will have an inner tank made from 9 percent nickel alloy and outer wall and outer roof made from concrete, it said.
$21 billion
Venture Global took a final investment decision in May last year on the first phase of the Plaquemines project with a capacity of 13.3 mtpa and the related pipeline. It also secured $13.2 billion in project financing.
Last month, the company sanctioned the second phase of the Plaquemines LNG export plant in Louisiana and also secured $7.8 billion in project financing.
The full project, including the second stage, will have a capacity of 20 mtpa coming from 36 modular units, configured in 18 blocks.
Together, phase one and phase two represent about $21 billion of investment.
“Today represents another major milestone in the construction of Plaquemines LNG, with both roofs now raised for the tanks serving Phase One,” said Mike Sabel, CEO of Venture Global LNG.
“With Phase One deep into construction and our recent FID and full notice to proceed on Phase Two, Plaquemines is well positioned to be the next new major LNG capacity to reach the global market,” he said.