West African Country, Equatorial Guinea is set to build the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and regasification plant in West Africa. This project will advance the country’s efforts to monetize gas resources through the creation of a domestic gas-to-power infrastructure.

The plant which is Located at the Port of Akonikien in the country’s mainland, will enable the transportation and storage of LNG from the EG LNG plant at the Punta Europa Gas Complex on Bioko Island, to the mainland. It will be then passed into the regasification plant to be distributed to smaller-scale power plants and LNG power stations throughout the country, as well as exported to neighboring countries.

The Akonikien project is the first gas-to-power development in Equatorial Guinea’s LNG2Africa initiative which was launched by the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons in 2018. The initiative seeks to promote the production and trade of LNG through the creation of a domestic gas-to-power infrastructure and intra-African LNG industry.

The project which is handled by local construction and engineering firm, Elite Construcciones, stated that the plant will have a storage capacity of 14,000 cubic meters with 12 bullet tanks. The tanks are currently the largest factory-built cryogenic bullet tanks in the world with a capacity of 1,228 cubic meters and dimensions of 31 meters by 9.3 meters by 8.8 meters. Each tank is estimated to require 12 hours to complete the 12,000-meter distance from the port to the new plant. Elite Construcciones is also installing a truck loading station and 12 kilometers of 10-inch gas and diesel pipelines.

Other major suppliers include pipe supplier PFF Group, who manufactured 12,400 meters of pipes, shipping agents D&B Shipping Ltd. who facilitated the shipment of 22 40-foot open-top containers, and Meakin Logistics UK. Elite Construcciones also worked with German companies Noorwerk and ESC on the design and construction of the plant.