CIMC Enric Sanctum won the EPC contract of China’s first 30,000-m3 bimetallic full containment LNG storage tank

Zhangjiagang CIMC Sanctum Cryogenic Equipment Co., Ltd. (CIMC Enric Sanctum) recently signed up the EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) contract of China’s first 30,000-m3 bimetallic full containment LNG (liquefied natural gas) storage tank with a Shangxi-based group, further consolidating its leading position on bimetallic full containment LNG market.  

The project involves the expansion of an existing LNG plant. Since it is about the EPC of China’s first 30,000-m3 bimetallic full containment LNG storage tank, the client has laid down strict requirements on the proven track record, construction technology, quality standard, delivery period, pre-sales and after-sales services of bidders.

According to Ding Neng, Engineering Business Supervisor of CIMC Enric Sanctum, the Company has established the capabilities in the R&D, design and construction of bimetallic full containment LNG storage tanks since 2014 and has a wealth of mature technologies and experiences about 10,000-m3 and 20,000-m3 bimetallic full containment LNG storage tanks. Though the bimetallic full containment LNG storage tanks of three specifications (10,000-m3, 20,000-m3 and 30,000-m3) are similar in designed working conditions, loading performances, etc., yet the bigger a tank is, the more technical difficulties such as designs of thermal corner protection system (TPS) and in-tank pressure balance system and installation of TPS it will encounter, and it is not something just about sizes.  

"To solve these problems, we’ve set up a top expert team and come up with elaborate bidding schemes. In particular, we incorporated CIMC’s financing service into the bidding package, and it did work. Finally, we got the deal”, added Ding Neng.

Different from the one which uses concrete for its outer container, the bimetallic full containment LNG storage tank uses low temperature cold resistant cryogenic steel for both inner and outer containers. Once leakage occurs in the inner container of a bimetallic full containment storage tank, the outer container will protect the low-temperature liquid from further leaking. In this case, the outer container of a common single containment LNG storage tank cannot hold the leaked low-temperature liquid, and a concrete cofferdam has to be made. So far, a very small number of domestic companies including CIMC Enric Sanctum have mastered the bimetallic full containment LNG storage construction technologies.

Technically, the maximum effective liquid storage area of a 30,000-m3 bimetallic full containment LNG storage tank is 30,000 cubic meters. But how big is it? After the LNG storage tank is constructed, the outer diameter is 43.9 meters and the height is 36.5 meters, which is equivalent to a 12-storey apartment.

According to Ding Neng, open tenders have been carried out for six 10,000-m3, two 20,000-m3, one 25,000-m3 and one 30,000-m3 bimetallic full containment LNG storage tank respectively since late 2015. Among them, CIMC Enric Sanctum won the orders for four 10,000-m3, one 20,000-m3 and one 30,000-m3 altogether.  

"Currently, most domestic companies don't have enough experience in the construction of bimetallic full containment LNG storage tanks. Therefore, CIMC Enric Sanctum’s winning the order means that we have considerable advantage in numbers and volume of a single tank on this market”, added Ding Neng at the end of the interview.