MechChem Africa January-February 2023

⎪ PowerGen,PetroChem and Sustainable energy management ⎪

“Andonthepower side,weseeLNGas ideal for use inhybrid renewable energy plants. For example, we are looking to work with solar companies which tend to struggle to meet demand before nine in the morning and after four in the afternoon. “Users typically install diesel generators to meet this demand, but natural gas is far cleaner and much less expensive,” Rothman notes. Infrastructure requirements Describing infrastructure requirements that will be developed for smaller customers, he says LNG can be delivered via road tankers for transfer into locally installed tanks, or in ISO containers. LNG is in liquid form (at – 162 °C), so the gas needs tobepassed through an ambient vaporising system before use. These can supply natural gas at anything from 1.0 to 10 bar tomeet the customer’s needs. In addition, typical storagevolumes for industrial customers are below 80 m 3 , so full environ mental impact studies are not required. “We can therefore deploy these solutions rapidly,” Rothman assures. In terms of onsite storage capacity, one- or two-weeks supply would be needed because LNGcannot be stored indefinitely – the liquid vaporises in the cryogenic tank, resulting in the need for venting to maintain safe pres sure limits. “So, we schedule deliveries on a just-in-time routine to supply the customer’s ongoing needs directly from the Distribution Hub,” he says. SA’s energy transition Stephen Rothman sees LNG as a vital part of the green energy transition for Southern Africa. “We cannot look at each energy op tion in isolation, LNG has a vital role to play as a transition fuel towards a zero-carbon economy. "Every 10 to 200 MW facility we put into South Africa, decentralises the lo cal network and creates opportuni ty. In the long-term, green hydrogen wi l l ul t imately become an al ternat ive to natural gas, andwe are already investing inhy drogen to supplement LNG from 2026/2027 onwards . We have created an ent i ty called H2Hub, and we are busy with a proj ect in Jeffreys Bay with a company called SSC Group to produce green hydrogen from wind energy,” he tells MechChem Africa. “We now also have a team of technical people in South Africa – on the installation, quality and SHEQ side – with specialists in handling cryogenic gases. We have also put in place some financing options. A customer has the option to purchase 50% to 100% of the equipment needed onsite, for example, with a five-year payback period during which LNGHubwill service andmaintain the facility.

“Once an LNG storage facility has been set up, the client immediately has access to cleaner energy generation, but clients canalso run their trucks or a smelter on LNG. LNGuse can become a lot more efficient compared to running HFO, diesel or paraffin. “LNG is very cost-competitive, too. For a minewherewe are looking at a 10 to100MW

facility to replace diesel, we would be able to save our customers a substantial amount of energy per year, equating to an approximate 35% saving on their fuel bill. So, transitioning tousing cleaner fuels is not theonlyadvantage of switching to LNG. It can also be a far more financially viable option,” Stephen Rothman concludes. lnghub.co.za

Clients can also run their trucks on LNG.

For intensive use such as smelting, for example, industrial use of LNG can be a lot more efficient compared to using HFO, diesel or paraffin.

Stephen Rothman, LNG Hub's CEO: “We are creating depots in Saldanha Bay, Richards Bay and Durban, along with depots in Gauteng, for the supply of peaking and mid-merit power demands. We intend to set up joint ventures with industries in the private and public sectors with needs in the 10 to 350 MW range.”

January-February 2023 • MechChem Africa ¦ 25