Main cryogenic heat exchanger and precoolers arrive at the LNG Canada site in Kitimat

Three towering pieces of equipment critical to the gas liquification process have arrived at the LNG Canada site in Kitimat, as construction activities progress through the project’s “going vertical” stage, with other key milestones on the horizon.

Crews spent the week of June 7^th carefully offloading a 345-tonne main cryogenic heat exchanger (MCHE) and two precooler units, which weigh 308 tonnes and 284 tonnes respectively, from a cargo ship docked at the LNG Canada project’s new material offloading facility (MOF) in Kitimat Harbour.

The equipment was then placed on large, self-propelled modular transporters, which will slowly move the pieces along the project site’s new three-kilometre-long haul road to the main construction area in the coming days, where they will soon be connected to other pieces of LNG infrastructure.

The largest of the three new pieces of equipment, the MCHE is approximately 50 metres in length. Once installed vertically, it will be among the most visible components at the LNG Canada facility.

It is the first of two MCHE units built by Linde plc for the LNG Canada project; the second MCHE is expected to arrive later this year, along with two more precoolers.

Often described as the “heart” of an LNG facility, MCHEs are made to liquify natural gas. Gas enters an MCHE near its base and exits at its top in a sub-cooled, liquified state, at -160 Celsius. The liquified gas is then piped to a storage tank, and from there, it is loaded onto specialized carriers for ocean transport.

Precoolers are also integral to the process, increasing efficiencies during different stages of gas liquification. All three pieces of infrastructure are precision engineered from aluminum and are pressure tested prior to delivery.

“Taking delivery of our first main cryogenic heat exchanger and precoolers is another significant milestone for the LNG Canada project, and represents a number of firsts for us,” said LNG Canada CEO Peter Zebedee. “It’s our first opportunity to receive critical infrastructure at our new material offloading facility, and our first heavy equipment transport along our new haul road to our main construction site. Thanks to the thousands of highly-skilled Canadians who are working on our project, we’re making tremendous progress in 2021, and we’ll be reaching more major milestones, safely, in the weeks and months to come.”