Advantica - Network Storage Using Adsorbed Natural Gas

Loughborough/Hamburg, 11 June 2008 – At IGEM’s Engineering Update Conference 2008, Advantica presents the potential of Adsorbed Natural Gas (ANG) technology. ANG technology could transform the approach to natural gas storage and transportation; it offers a safer, simpler and more economic alternative to conventional storage solutions. Lay Yen Lau, Senior Process Engineer, and Rob Judd, Principal Consultant, from Advantica explained applications, advantages, limitations and developments to-date of ANG.

Adsorbed Natural Gas technology benefits from medium-pressure operation, high volumetric storage capacity, process simplicity and inherent safety. It allows the storage of natural gas at substantially higher volumetric capacities than pressurised storage for an equivalent pressure, making use of adsorption of gas on a low-cost activated carbon material. As an example, at 7 bar storage pressure, ANG can store up to 35 volumes of natural gas, 5 times that of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

The applications of ANG range from small-scale on-board fuel storage for natural gas vehicles including cars, trains and ships, through to strategic local network storage. Despite the same operating principles, the process requirements are different and need to be understood and optimised for each application. ANG local network storage could be implemented as a new installation as an alternative to line pack. It could also be retrofitted at the sites of existing low-pressure (LP) gasholders and pressurised storage vessels by filling the vessels with activated carbon to gain from the enhanced storage capacity.

ANG has been proven in principle and is ready for demonstration in actual operation. Safety and hazard studies show that ANG has lower safety hazards than conventional CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).

About Advantica

With the complementary services offered by Advantica, Germanischer Lloyd's range extends to project consulting services for oil and gas production, storage, LNG terminals, pipeline engineering as well as gas, electricity and water distribution networks combined with the corresponding software solutions and consulting services for installation performance, maintenance and process control. Advantica joined the Industrial Services of Germanischer Lloyd in 2007.

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