Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Small Scale LNG Feasibility
The growth of Small Scale LNG (SSLNG) has been significant in recent years, and there are a number of examples where these innovative and flexible methods to transport LNG on a regional basis to specific consumers have enabled the delivery of cost-effective energy to new locations. As part of the scoping of a new power plant project in the DRC, a timing gap was identified between the completion of the construction of the power plant and the later timing for the readiness of a fuel supply.
Mark Krueger was requested to provide his expertise in logistics and the energy industry to advise on the feasibility of establishing a small-scale LNG operation to ensure an energy source for the SSLNG plan during this interim period. The preferred concept was to transport via ISO Tanks, recognising the multi-modal journey that the product would need. Safety, compliance, and the operational considerations associated with transporting and storing LNG in ISO tanks also needed to be considered.
Mark quickly got to work to identify the issues and considerations and commenced identifying sources of supply, transport providers and lead times to undertake this unique, specialised supply chain study. A unique consideration of transporting LNG in ISO tanks is that the product can only remain in the container for a limited period of time, which needs to be factored into the supply solution.
The investigation and report were turned around to the client in a timeline of only 2 weeks, where Mark facilitated a review with project executives and specialists and solicited feedback on the study. In summary, Mark’s knowledge and appreciation for the logistical factors, associated with remote location energy supply, provided the client the information that they needed to make a timely and informed decision with respect to the path forward for this unique project. The learnings and up-to-date knowledge obtained from this study will also be able to be applied to many other scenarios and applications.