Automation project for Yemen LNG plant

Invensys has won a multi-million dollar automation and safety contract, including Foxboro I/A Series DCS, Triconex safety and fire and gas systems, and engineering services for a new Yemen LNG plant

Invensys Process Systems has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to provide distributed control systems (DCS), safety systems and fire and gas systems for the Yemen LNG Company plant being built at Balhaf, on the Yemen south coast.

The new US$2+ billion grassroots plant is the first LNG plant in Yemen, and the Foxboro implementation will be the first major DCS in Yemen.

The Invensys systems will help Yemen LNG efficiently and safely deliver its planned total capacity of 6.7 million tons of LNG per year.

The new plant will consist of two process trains using the well-proven APCI C3/MCR process.

The target for Train 1 start-up is the end of 2008, with Train 2 coming on line approximately five months later.

The Invensys contract covers automation and safety systems on both process trains, plus all plant utilities.

The joint venture YEMGAS, comprising Technip, JGC and KBR, is responsible for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the new plant.

Invensys Process Systems, through its global centres of LNG excellence, will provide a range of hardware and software integration, configuration and engineering services, as well as on-site assistance with commissioning, start-up and technical training.

The Foxboro DCS implementation will comprise 45 pairs of latest generation I/A Series control processors in fault-tolerant configurations, and will utilise the high-speed Foxboro mesh control network for optimal availability and performance.

The systems will control all major plant processes including: feedstock gas reception and dehydration; acid and mercury removal; gas chilling and liquefaction; LNG storage and ship loading; site utilities, and flare control.

Fourteen Triconex TMR (triple modular redundant) safety-instrumented systems will be employed throughout the plant for the process safety systems, fire and gas systems, and safety shutdown systems.

The Invensys implementation at Yemen LNG also includes supply and integration of Bently Nevada machine monitoring systems and a plant-wide time synchronisation system.

The Foxboro and Triconex systems will together coordinate more than 27,000 total I/O points across the plant, representing a wide variety of devices.

Control operations will utilise a central control room, six satellite control rooms, a marine operations control room and a fire station.

To help maximise overall asset performance at this new site after the start-up, Invensys will also implement an integrated asset management system, an advanced alarm management system, and a control loop performance monitoring system.

Significant factors in the award were deep Invensys experience in LNG, product/service technical leadership, and the extensive favourable project execution histories between Invensys and the EPC partners.

Foxboro DCS and Triconex safety instrumented systems are controlling and protecting dozens of LNG plants around the world.

Utilising global resources, Invensys project teams have brought together business consulting, system integration, automation control solutions, and project management for LNG companies worldwide.

Back to top