Floating power and water solutions for the mining and metals industries

Building on MODEC’s extensive experience in designing, building and operating floating production systems for the oil & gas industry, MODEC developed a range of Floating Power and Water Solutions to provide industries and utilities with dependable electricity as well as clean potable/industrial water using natural gas in the form of LNG as a fuel source. MODEC believes that its Floating Power and Water Solutions should be of particular interest to the Mining and Metals (Aluminum, Copper, Ferro-Nickel smelters or similar) industries.

Figure 1: FSR-Power® with 160 MW CCGT plant

MODEC developed two different systems, i.e. FSRWP® (Water & Power) and FSR-Power® (Power only), each one of which has been scaled to demonstrate the concept flexibility. All systems have integrated LNG storage tanks and regasification unit.

In principle an FSRWP® (floating storage, regasification, water and power) is a floating LNG storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with an integrated CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) power plant and a sea water desalination plant. Depending on the selected size (Small, Medium or Large) these systems have power generation capacities ranging from 80 MW to 950 MW and seawater desalination from 50,000 to 600,000 m³/day.

In general, the CCGT power plant on the FSRWP comprises of the following components: regasification unit, gas turbines and generators, HRSG (Heat Recovery Steam Generator), STG (Steam Turbine Generator), seawater intake system and condensers. An E-House, including control room is provided along with a High Voltage substation including GCB (Generator Circuit Breaker), GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear), GSU (Generator Step-up Transformer) and a Support Frame at the bow (in case the unit is jetty moored) to which the overhead transmission wires are connected. For maintenance/re-supply purposes there is a lay down area and crane(s) with which supplies and parts can be lifted from/to the FSRWP®.

In addition to the power generation system a sea-water desalination facility is fitted on the same vessel. The desalination unit is based on SWRO Membrane technology. The SWRO membranes reduce the level of salt in the produced water. The SWRO unit comprises of a single-stage reverse osmosis membrane array designed for a 45% recovery. The SWRO high pressure feed pumps obtain feed water from downstream of the seawater pre-filter. Parallel operating Cartridge Filters (1 duty & 1 spare) located up-stream of the SWRO feed pumps, each containing replaceable polypropylene elements provide the final required particulate filtration prior to the RO membranes. The freshwater is then passed to a set of freshwater supply pumps to provide required conditioning for export. Chemicals are injected at the discharge of the supply pumps, prior to export, to make the water potable. The time taken by the water to reach the consumer provides the residence time required for the action of the chemicals.

The treated seawater will meet World Health Organization and local quality standards and hence will be suitable for domestic consumption or industrial use.

In case the FSRWP® is moored alongside a quayside or jetty the power will be transferred from the vessel to the power grid via overhead power lines. In case the vessel is moored nearshore, either via an External Turret or a Tower Yoke Mooring System, the power is sent to shore via subsea power cables. 

In addition to generating power and water the FSRWP® can also send regasified LNG to shore for third party consumers.

In addition to the FSRWP® MODEC also developed the FSR-Power®. The FSR-Power® is a FSRWP® without the seawater desalination plant. Electricity is generated from a Combined Cycle Power Plant which has gas turbine generators and steam turbine generators as its main components. For the power plant there are different models and configurations available. MODEC has selected three standard power plant configurations which come in increments of 40 MW, 60 MW and 120 MW. Depending on our Client’s needs, multiple gas turbine and steam turbine generators can be combined to achieve the exact power output required.

FSR-Power® solutions range from 80 to 950 MW systems, all with integrated LNG storage tanks.

Figure 2: FSRWP® with 160 MW CCGT Power Plant and 60,000m3/day Desalination Plant

Three Classification Societies have issued MODEC with an “Approval in Principle” Certificate, namely DNV-GL, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Bureau Veritas (BV).

The FSRWP® line of products is a highly competitive solution with shorter delivery times than comparable onshore solutions. These systems are fabricated in a controlled shipyard environment with easy access to a large supporting vendor and supplier infrastructure nearby and unlike onshore plants are not ”stick built” on remote sites with little or no supporting infrastructure.

Depending on the size and configuration, Small and Medium size FSRWP® systems can be delivered between 18 to 24 months from contract award to start-up on site and Large new built units within 30 to 36 months.

FSRWP®s are cost effective, environmentally friendly, permanent solutions for producing both, power and water using LNG as a fuel source. MODEC offers these systems either on a sale or long-term lease basis including operation and maintenance services.

The FSRWP® is a trend breaking floating power and water solution suitable for a wide range of client requirements anywhere in the world.