The natural gas is chilled and liquefied so that it can be stored and then shipped in insulated pressurized tankers. LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) in liquefied form also can be interesting for the distribution of natural gas in Norway and elsewhere in Scandinavia. The gas can be transported by small vessels to ports along the coast. This is a way to build up and serve a market that is too small to warrant investment in a network of gas pipelines.

The Institute has also developed a plant to produce small amounts of LNG that is very efficient in terms of both cost and energy. The fuel comes from gas that otherwise would have been released to air or combusted as waste fuel. This technology has received a lot of attention internationally, especially from China that has an increasing demand for energy. One advantage of LNG is that it pollutes much less than coal.  The technology is now being industrialised together with industrial partners.

Laboratory prototype for small scale production of liquefied natural gas.
Photo: SINTEF Media