Work on the project of the Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA) in Shanghai, which will supply clean natural gas to the Vasilikos Power Station, continues intensively, despite the difficulties brought about globally by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a press release of the company, the construction works on the ship "ETYFA PROMETHEUS", continued unhindered throughout the festive season and are in progress for the installation of two vital components.
More specifically, as stated in the same announcement, at this point in time, the regas and the power module are being installed on board the ship, in order to transform it from a simple LNGC carrier to a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU).
As the ETYFA announcement explains, the regasification plant (Regas) is responsible for the conversion of the Liquid Natural Gas into a gas phase (Natgas), and this will then supply the Vasilikos Power Station for the production of electricity for the Republic of Cyprus. The regasification unit is installed on the bow of the ship.
Regarding the installation of the power module, the company states that in order to further reduce the carbon footprint, i.e. the total gas emissions of the Republic of Cyprus, the contractor of the project, China Petroleum Pipeline Company (CPP), chose to install a dual-fuel power plant so that it would not only move the regasification plant, but at the same time be able to supply the ship with the electricity required by all its other functions. The power unit, installed at the stern of the ship, will operate exclusively with Liquefied Natural Gas, from the ship's cargo, but at the same time it will be able to switch to diesel in case of emergency, the announcement adds.
"Once these vital components are installed, the vessel is effectively converted into a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU), while fully maintaining its operations as a commercial ship-Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC). This is the reason why the works on the vessel ETYFA PROMETHEUS are considered of major importance", notes ETYFA.
China Petroleum Pipeline, the company that has undertaken the project in Shanghai, has secured the amount of steel required for the construction of the two units, despite the huge supply problems and record prices that have been created worldwide due to the pandemic, as stated in ETYFA's announcement, and adds that this has helped to minimize possible delays, which most contractors are facing due to the pandemic. ETYFA representatives attended the steel cutting ceremony for the regasification plant on October 28, 2021 with construction work starting immediately afterwards at the COSCO shipyard in China. According to the announcement, the cutting of steel for the power plant took place on December 9, with the start of construction work.
ETYFA states that "the China Petroleum Pipeline (CPP) has proceeded to draw up a detailed plan - for the management of travel restrictions, lockdowns and other disruptions arising due to the pandemic - which has been successfully implemented so far and without having to sacrifice working days. A pretty significant achievement, under the current circumstances of the pandemic."
The construction of the bases for the two units has already been completed at 52%, notes ETYFA, representatives of which, under the umbrella of Hill International in Shanghai, oversee the progress and quality of construction work.
