Honeywell UOP tech chosen for Calcasieu Pass LNG

Honeywell said that Venture Global LNG will use a series of technologies from Honeywell UOP to remove various contaminants from natural gas prior to liquefaction at its Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

Honeywell UOP will provide engineering, procurement and fabrication services for the complex which, when completed, will produce 10 million tons per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export to markets in Asia, Europe and other locations, the company said in its statement.

Speaking of the project Ben Owens, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s gas processing and hydrogen business said, “by delivering this technology in modular form, we can reduce construction and installation costs compared with traditional field-constructed systems.”

The project will include a Honeywell UOP Mercury Removal Unit (MRU) and three separate trains each consisting of an Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU) and molecular sieve dehydration unit.

Taken together, these modular units will remove water, mercury, carbon dioxide and sulfur from 1.6 billion standard cubic feet per day of natural gas so it can be liquefied and safely transported to customers on ocean-going vessels.

Mercury occurs naturally in small concentrations in most natural gas. Effective mercury removal processes are necessary to protect cryogenic equipment used to liquefy natural gas.

Other naturally occurring contaminants such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, often referred to as acid gases, must be removed from natural gas before it can be liquefied. The natural gas is treated by passing it through an amine solution in the AGRU. After being treated, the natural gas is dehydrated using UOP molecular sieves to remove all the water to prevent freezing in the cryogenic liquefaction process.