China's first domestically built large-scale floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility departed along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River early on Monday as it heads towards Zhoushan City in east China's Zhejiang Province for follow-up outfitting work.
The Nguya FLNG, which will be deployed in the waters off the Republic of Congo upon its completion, measures 376 meters long, 60 meters wide, and stands over 61 meters above the waterline. The facility can directly liquefy and store extracted natural gas at deep sea and will be able to process more than 10 million cubic meters of natural gas per day when at full capacity.
The significant scale of the Nguya -- which takes its name from a word in the Congolese Lingala language meaning 'energy' -- was highlighted by the sizable fleet which was utilized to transport it. With one high-powered tugboat leading from the front and four other vessels flanking from the sides, the towing operation also set a new record for the Yangtze River, with the fleet stretching for a total length of 705 meters.
To ensure the safe passage of this huge facility, maritime authorities dispatched 10 patrol boats, three warning boats, and three drones to oversee the operation as it made its way down the Yangtze River.
A floating LNG facility represents one of the most advanced engineering in oceanic natural gas infrastructure, with only five of such units currently in operation worldwide.
China's first large-scale floating LNG facility sets sail for installation phase
