DAMIETTA LIQUEFACTION PROJECT

摘要

In the second half of the nineties, UNION FENOSA had to face up a strong electricity demand increase, combined with deregulation processes and more restrictive environmental legislation in energy sectors, leading the company to consider power generation in CCGTs as one of the key solutions to match the increasing demand.rnTherefore, UNION FENOSA decided to integrate its gas and power business, created UNION FENOSA GAS, and the latter had the task of seeking natural gas around the world in competitive conditions.rnThe alternatives UNION FENOSA GAS had in front were to buy natural gas at CCGTs gate or to acquire LNG. UNION FENOSA GAS chose buying natural gas at the origin and transforming it into LNG, in order to get more competitive price and higher security of supply, and to know and manage satisfactorily the costs in the whole gas chain.rnAfter having started the search for gas around the world, and finally signed an SPA contract in 2000, later ratified by the Egyptian Cabinet, UNION FENOSA GAS began the construction of a liquefaction plant in a greenfield site at the port of Damietta. The plant is owned by SEGAS, which is participated by UNION FENOSA GAS (80%), EGPC and EGAS (10% each). In 2003 Eni acquired 50% of UNION FENOSA GAS, signifying a recognition of the project goodness.rnDamietta represented the first liquefaction plant ever built in Egypt. Being the single-train plant with highest capacity (7.56 bcm/yr) in the world, Damietta was brought onstream in less than five years after UNION FENOSA GAS and EGPC signed a contract for 4.4 bcm/yr, on 1st August 2000, being operational by November 2004. This fact represented a World Record. The first shipment of LNG was delivered to UNION FENOSA GAS in Spain in January 2005.rnAnother Damietta peculiarity is that it is the world's first plant ever operating under a tolling scheme, in which the tollers place the gas at the plant gate, the plant transforms the gas into LNG, receiving a liquefaction fee for this activity, and the tollers withdraw the LNG.