GE Oil & Gas, a unit of American multinational conglomerate signed a memorandum of understanding with French engineer Technip aimed at exploring co-development of digital solutions for the liquefied natural gas industry.
According to a joint statement, the two companies intend to focus on the design and build phase of new LNG projects.
Under the MoU, GE Oil & Gas and Technip will jointly evaluate the application of digital solutions to the engineering, construction, commissioning, startup and operation of LNG facilities.
The first phase of the project is to determine which solutions could be applied to LNG projects as well as for operation and maintenance of LNG facilities. The partnership would also look into solutions that, beginning at the design phase target maximum productivity and reliability improvements.
This is the first digital collaboration between Ge Oil & Gas and Technip, and according to Rod Christie , President & CEO–Turbomachinery Solutions, GE Oil & Gas, combining the complementary areas of expertise allows the two companies to explore new digital capabilities for LNG that can be applied from the design and build phases all the way through to the operational phases.
“By embedding digital thinking at the very beginning of project development, we are truly building the digital future of oil and gas,” Christie said.
GE Oil & Gas chief digital officer, Matthias Heilmann , sad, “While we’re seeing digital solutions grow in operations, digitizing the design and build phases of projects will unleash an entirely new set of opportunities.”
According to him, expanding digital into planning phases will enable operators to optimize machines, facilities and operations from the beginning.
With the rise in demand, and the venture into new markets, the volume of liquefied natural gas traded on a global scale is expected to double by 2025, the statement said.
It is expected that the role of digital solutions will increase significantly as the industry is looking to prioritize and optimize the equipment and operations in search of higher productivity.