World Current Trends of LNG Storage Tanks And Latest Technology of Aboveground Tanks

摘要

It is commonly appreciated, by most countries in the world, that LNG is a major source as a key energy in view of its superiority on environmental aspects as well as the stability of a long-term supply. Constructions of LNG storage tanks have increased at both LNG export and import terminals reflecting the higher demands of LNG world-widely. Almost 300 LNG tanks have been constructed and are being safely operated with further tanks under construction stage.Those LNG storage tanks as a main equipment at the LNG terminal, in which a big volume of LNG has to be contained safely for along time, have been always required to be designed and constructed with enhanced safety and reliability. Various types of LNG storage tanks have been realized in consideration of safety and reliability, as well as efficiency coping with the changes of environment surrounding them. These changes are, namely, the social environments of the countries, the geographical and climatic environments of the sites and the enhanced safety demands by the plant owners. In recent years the plant owners have tended to demand larger and larger storage capacities to utilize the limited land for the facilities, while at the same time trying to reduce the relative investment costs. New advanced - technologies have been researched, developed and established by the engineers and researchers for realizing these large scale storage tanks. Meanwhile Osaka Gas Co. Ltd. has continually developed the large scale PC LNG storage tanks since 1980 - aiming at high safety, an economical construction and an effective usage of the limited terminal area. As a result, Osaka Gas Co. Ltd. has realized the construction of a 140,000 m~3 LNG storage tank and a further l80, 000m~3 LNG storage tank which is currently the largest aboveground LNG storage tank in the world.This paper is to present the highly- advanced technology in connection with the development of the l80, 000m~3 LNG storage tank now under construction and introducing the historical changes of the LNG storage tank type and capacity over thelast 40 years.