Equatorial Guinea is set to construct the first LNG storage and regasification plant in West Africa, advancing efforts to monetise gas resources through the creation of a domestic gas-to-power infrastructure
Located at the Port of Akonikien, the landmark regasification plant will enable the storage, transportation and distribution of LNG to the country’s mainland.
It will then be fed into the regasification plant to be distributed across the country to smaller power plants and LNG power stations, as well as exported to neighbouring countries.
The Akonikien project is the first gas-to-energy development of Equatorial Guinea’s LNG2Africa initiative.
Spearheaded by local construction and engineering firm Elite Construcciones, the plant will have a storage capacity of 14,000 cu/m with 12 bullet tanks. The tanks are currently the largest factory-built cryogenic bullet tanks in the world with a capacity of 1,228 cu/m and dimensions of 31 m by 9.3 m by 8.8 m.
Built by American manufacturer Corban Energy Group, it is estimated that each tank will take 12 hours to complete the 12,000-m distance from the port to the new plant. Elite Construcciones also has a truck loading station and 12 km of 10-inch gas and diesel pipelines installed.
Other major suppliers include pipe supplier PFF Group, which manufactured 12,400 m of pipes, shipping agents D&B Shipping Ltd., which facilitated the shipment of 22 40-foot open-top containers, and Meakin Logistics UK.
German companies ESC Engineers and Noordtec have worked closely with Equatoguinean contractor Elite Construcciones on the design, development and construction of the Akonikien LNG project in Equatorial Guinea. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, inaugurated the 14,000 cum m storage and regasification plant this week.
Sebastian Wagner, a founder at the Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF), said, “This project was realised in cooperation with German SMEs, showing the increasing number of private German companies able to work in collaboration with African entities on vital energy project. Germany has developed strong expertise in gas, power and renewables, which have all become central to the African energy agenda.”