Japanese firms eyeing to develop small LNG plants

Japanese firms Toyo Engineering Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. will join forces to make a full-fledged entry into the global market for LNG plants, targeting small, undeveloped gas fields mainly in Australia and Indonesia, Nikkei reported on Thursday.

Hitachi will provide rotating equipment and power control software while Toyo Engineering will manage projects including plant design, equipment procurement and construction. U.S. plant equipment manufacturer Chart Industries Inc. is also part of the tie-up, and will provide equipment for chilling and liquefying natural gas, along with technologies to treat it.

The alliance will market relatively small plants that can produce up to 2 million tons of LNG a year. (*)