Invensys wins automation and safety contract for Yemen grassroots LNG plant
Posted: 18 December 2006
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Invensys Process Systems has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to provide distributed control systems (DCS), safety systems and fire & gas systems for the Yemen LNG Company Ltd. plant being built at Balhaf, on Yemen 's south coast. The new $2+ billion grassroots plant is the first LNG plant in Yemen , and the Foxboro implementation will be the first major DCS in Yemen .
The Invensys systems will help Yemen LNG efficiently and safely deliver its planned total capacity of 6.7 million tons of LNG per year. The new plant will consist of two process trains using the well-proven APCI C3/MCR process. The target for Train 1 start-up is the end of 2008, with Train 2 coming on line approximately five months later. The Invensys contract covers automation and safety systems on both process trains, plus all plant utilities.
The joint venture YEMGAS, comprising Technip, JGC and KBR, is responsible for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the new plant. Invensys Process Systems, through its global centers of LNG excellence, will provide a range of hardware and software integration, configuration and engineering services, as well as on-site assistance with commissioning, start-up and technical training.
The Foxboro DCS implementation will comprise 45 pairs of latest generation I/A Series control processors in fault-tolerant configurations, and will utilize the high-speed Foxboro mesh control network for optimal availability and performance. The systems will control all major plant processes including: feedstock gas reception and dehydration; acid and mercury removal; gas chilling and liquefaction; LNG storage and ship loading; site utilities, and flare control. Fourteen Triconex TMR (triple modular redundant) safety-instrumented systems will be employed throughout the plant for the process safety systems, fire & gas systems, and safety shutdown systems. The Invensys implementation at Yemen LNG also includes supply and integration of Bentley Nevada machine monitoring systems and a plant-wide time synchronization system.
The Foxboro and Triconex systems will together coordinate more than 27,000 total I/O points across the plant, representing a wide variety of devices. Control operations will utilize a central control room, six satellite control rooms, a marine operations control room and a fire station.
To help maximize overall asset performance at this new site after the start-up, Invensys will also implement an integrated asset management system, an advanced alarm management system, and a control loop performance monitoring system.
Significant factors in the award were deep Invensys experience in LNG, product/service technical leadership, and the extensive favorable project execution histories between Invensys and the EPC partners. Foxboro DCS and Triconex safety instrumented systems are controlling and protecting dozens of LNG plants around the world. Utilizing global resources, Invensys project teams have brought together business consulting, system integration, automation control solutions, and project management for LNG companies worldwide. |
