Polish LNG Project on Track

The construction of the liquefied natural gas Terminal in Świnoujście accelerates month by month; in March this year a record-increase in project advancement by 6.2 percentage points was reported. This confirms high efficiency of works performed during the past winter months, and proves company’s full readiness for this year’s construction season.

The Project Investor – Polskie LNG, together with the EPC Contractor (GRI) demonstrated high-level preparation for the start of the season in the construction industry – the Project growth dynamics has been steadily improving over the recent months. In March 2013, the progress of the project recorded 6.2 percentage points (p.p.) increase compared to the previous month. This upward trend has been retained for several past months and it also refers to the number of subcontractors engaged by the EPC Contractor in the works at the Terminal. On April 10th as many as 964 employees were working on the construction site.

This upward trend indicates positive results of hiring new contractors and opening new work fronts by GRI, despite adverse weather conditions during winter months. The efficiency of works is steadily improving, which is reflected by construction and assembly works’ increase by five percentage points recorded in March. This improvement is particularly important, as it confirms that the works hindered partly due to last year’s problems in the construction industry – including those relating to technical buildings – are being continued unobstructedly, said Rafał Wardziński, President of Polskie LNG S.A.

The most significant works accomplished on the construction site in recent months include concreting the roofs of both LNG tanks. The first layers have been completed whilst the second, final ones are currently under construction. Due to adverse weather conditions throughout March and early April it was necessary to use special ‘tent’ covers and heating. At the same time, gas-tight and thermal insulation assembly and welding works are continued inside both tanks.

In parallel with the construction of the tanks, other parts of the Terminal are being built; in the onshore part the installation of over 60-meter-high steel structure of the vent, together with  all five reinforced concrete SCV basins (SCV technology consists in changing the liquefied gas into gaseous state by means of pipes immersed in heated water), as well as the assembly of steel piperacks have been continued and followed by installation of pipelines thereon. Moreover, prefabrication of pipelines and painting works are continued. As a result, in the onshore part of the Terminal over 15 kilometers of pipes have been laid and 349 sink-holes have been installed. In the marine part of the Terminal the construction of unloading platform’s steel structure around the unloading arms is continued, and the assembly of support structures for cable trays has been completed and is being followed by installation of pipelines on the piperacks.

In April, besides continuation of ongoing works, completion of concreting the roof layer on TK-2012 tank and a continuation of concreting the roof of the second tank (TK-2011) is planned, along with commencement of steel inner tank’s construction in the first LNG tank, followed by installation of transmission pipeline and mechanical assembly of SCV vaporisers. Construction of technical buildings will be continued, as well as assembly of piperack steel structures, tightness tests will be performed, and excavations for underground networks and facilities will be gradually backfilled. In the marine part of the Terminal the planned works include installation of foundations for unloading arms and buildings’ steel structures on the jetty.

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LNG World News Staff, April 19, 2013; Image: Polskie LNG