Karmol’s first liquefied natural gas floating storage and regasification unit has commenced sea trials offshore Singapore ahead of its maiden deployment offshore Senegal in the coming weeks.
Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine on Monday delivered the 125,000-cubic metre capacity FSRU conversion. The yard is already constructing a same capacity FSRU that Karmol plans to deploy offshore Mozambique and a third such unit will follow.
Karpowership and Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) teamed up two years ago with the mission of becoming the world’s most reliable and preferred LNG-to-power solutions provider.
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Following gas trials, the Senegal-bound FSRU Karmol LNGT Africa is expected to depart Singapore in early April and arrive in Senegal in mid-May where operations are planned to start in the following month.
“This milestone has been achieved against the most challenging of backdrops with the ongoing global Covid pandemic, which makes this all the more satisfying,” noted Karmol representative Kesuke Ito.
However, construction and delivery of the FSRU were delayed by around a year as Sembmarine wrestled with the fallout of the pandemic. The offshore and marine contractor’s Admiralty Yard was closed for a time after a coronavirus outbreak among its workers, the Singapore government put in place ‘circuit breaker’ measures that reduced workplace numbers, plus there were logistics and supply chain issues.
Karmol LNGT Africa will enable Karmol to offer LNG-powered electricity to Senegal for the first time using its floating Powership, the Karadeniz Powership Aysegul Sultan.
In Senegal, Karpowership since August 2019 has operated the 235-megawatt capacity Powership that meets around 15% of the West African nation’s power demand. Once the FSRU arrives, the Powership will switch to operating with LNG.
Unique technology
Karmol said its unique technology means a combination of Powerships and FSRUs will bring LNG-to-power schemes to countries with no domestic gas supply. The company plans to switch its entire fleet of Powerships to be fuelled by LNG - a sustainable, affordable and environmentally responsible fuel.
“We have a bold ambition to offer LNG-to-power across the world and especially within Africa. Usage of FSRUs mean we can unlock the benefits of clean and affordable electricity for millions of people, even where countries have no domestic gas production or infrastructure,” said Karmol board member Gokhan Kocak.
