In the pipeline Equatorial Guinea is preparing to construct West Africa’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and regasification plant. The Akonikien project forms part of the country’s LNG2Africa initiative and aims to monetise gas resources by establishing domestic gas-to-power infrastructure, according to Africa Oil and Power. The project will enable the storage, transport and distribution of LNG from a plant on Bioko Island to the regasification plant at the country’s mainland Port of Akonikien. Here, 12 bullet tanks will carry 14 000 m3 of storage capacity, supported by a truck loading station and 12 km of pipeline. The LNG will then be fed into the regasification plant to be distributed to smaller-scale power plants and LNG power stations throughout the country, while some will be exported to neighbouring nations. Measuring 31m by 9.3m by 8.8m, the tanks are reportedly the largest factory-built cryogenic bullet tanks in the world. The LNG2Africa initiative was launched by the country’s Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons in 2018. 27 August 2019 Image: Alamy
