Chapter 11
I The Present Energy Economy
II Australian Energy Consumption
III Research And Development
IV Coal
V Oil And Natural Gas
VI Solar Energy
VII Nuclear Energy
VIII Bagasse Firewood And Other Biomass
IX Electric Power Generation And Distribution electric Power Generation And Distribution
X Manufactured Gas
i Early technology
ii The new technology
iii Liquefied natural gas
XI Industrial Process Heat
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Liquefied natural gas
While traditional forms of gas production have ceased there remains the matter of gas storage. In 1922 the Metropolitan Gas Company's Construction Department commissioned the world's first all-welded gasholder. Gasholders continued to be the method of storing large volumes of gas until the natural gas era. Thereafter, long distance high pressure pipelines provided the necessary storage capacity and the old gasholders were demolished. In Melbourne, as the demand for natural gas increased it became necessary to supplement the available pipeline storage. It was decided to construct a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and the Gas and Fuel Corporation and Commonwealth Industrial Gases (CIG) embarked on a joint project to construct Australia's first LNG plant at Dandenong. The LNG storage capacity at Dandenong is 12,000 tonnes, of which 10,000 tonnes is available to the Corporation. This is equivalent to 14 million cu m of natural gas. At the plant natural gas is liquefied by CIG and pumped to the storage tank, where it is held by the Corporation and revaporised at times of peak demand. The refrigerating effect of this is used by CIG to liquefy atmospheric gases for medical, commercial and industrial use. The plant began operations in 1980 and its engineering excellence has been recognised by a number of design awards. The joint project was a fine example of industrial symbiosis, for both organisations achieved their individual aims while enjoying the economies resulting from the shared plant.
Gas storage facilities and long distance natural gas transmission projects represent two significant areas in which Australian gas engineers will continue to explore the boundaries of technology in the remaining years of this century.
Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Commonwealth Industrial Gases Ltd (C.I.G.); Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria; Metropolitan Gas Company
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering |  |
© 1988 Print Edition pages 840 - 841, Online Edition 2000
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/821.html