NLNG Train 7 reaches 92% completion, nears pre-commissioning phase
SOPURUCHI ONWUKA, Editor
The seventh gas liquefaction train of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited is on course to imminent completion, having reached 92 percent of project stages.
The plant which aligns with existing trains at the company’s gas processing complex in Bonny Island, Rivers State, will propel Nigeria’s LNG production capacity with additional 8.0 million tons per annum (mtpa) from current 22 mtpa to 30 mpta upon completion.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adeleye Falade, declared at a forum hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Lagos that the $7.0 billion project driven by Saipem, Chiyoda, Daewoo continues enjoy broad support from the presidency and industry regulators.
In a presentation delivered on his behalf at the event, Falade stated that the project has so far consumed significant 120 million man hour out of the target 200 million man hours of mostly indigenous labour.
He also declared that the company has enhanced all safety measures on the construction site after recording two lost time on injury (LTI) incidents. He assured that the project contractors are prioritizing workplace safety as the project drives to pre-commissioning stages.
Mr Falade, whose presentation was delivered by Train 7 Project Manager, Ali Uwais, also noted that the Train 7 project has helped galvanize local investment in steel fabrication and galvanizing capabilities, pointing at the 4000 tons of steel already deployed in the project.
He also pointed to the spur effect in the domestic cable manufacturing industry, stating that all cables used in the project are manufactured in Nigeria. He, however, added that additional interventions are required to close quality gaps in the local manufacturing industry.
In calling noting the urgent need for in-country standard accountabilities, Mr Falade challenged agencies and regulators in the manufacturing industry to rise to the plate of ensuring international competitiveness on product quality.’
In counting some of the interventions driven by the company to close capacity and capability gaps in the domestic industry, he noted that the NLNG is relentless in establishing centers of excellence in tertiary institutions in the country with the purpose of addressing human capacity deficits.
The Train 7 project alone, he pointed out, has facilitated the training of 13,000 Nigerians, bolstered community focused participation initiatives, and facilitated rapid infrastructure development in the host Bonny Island.
Mr Falade told the industry audience at the event that the real value of the Train 7 project must transcend site activities to capture capacity, facilities and infrastructure developed for the project.
He called on other players in the industry to contribute to building capacity, standards and quality that compete globally, saying that Train 7 is now a proof that Nig can grow and develop to global standards.
