MEASURING CHAMBER AND DELIVERY OF
GAS TO THE SNAM RETE GAS TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

There are already 8,000 chambers in Italy, about 3,800 of which at the distribution networks in cities.
The project's measuring and delivery chamber will perform the following activities:

• Measurement of gas
• Check and monitoring of delivery conditions

This small-sized structure, which will be made invisible by a thick layer of vegetation, will not perform any kinds of gas treatment.

• no storage
• no refinement
• no treatment or processing whatsoever
• no heating, open flames, etc.
• no pumping station for gas pressurization

GAS CONNECTION PIPELINE - OFFSHORE AND ONSHORE ROUTE

The gas transport pipeline will be built and managed in compliance with the requirements of the Italian law. This is a well-proven and tested technology, since about 35,000 km of network are already present in Italy.

The offshore section is a pipeline, about 34 km long, which will connect the regasifier ship to the onshore section.

Thorough meteo-oceanic studies have been conducted on the quality of waters and sea bottom, so as to define the best undersea route. Under this respect, the Tritone project has many advantages:

• No significant environmental impact.
• Temporary and short-duration impact, which is exclusively limited to laying the pipeline.

The onshore section, about 1 km long, will be entirely buried, and thus completely invisible.

Tritone LNG's commitments as to the onshore section:

• No impact on beaches and bathing activities.
• The works will be concentrated in the non-tourist season.
• The works will be concentrated in the non-tourist season.

REGASIFIER SHIP
LOCATED 34 KM OF THE COAST

 

Type of floating terminal.

In order to optimize a constant supply of gas to the national network, GDF SUEZ is planning a floating terminal of the latest generation.

Its technology is based on a RLC-type ship (Regasification LNG Carrier) used in FSRU mode (Floating Storage & Regasification Unit). In other terms the future RLC ship will be able to constantly regasify, as well as to sail to the liquefaction plant where it will get the necessary supplies. The RLC ship is expected to work in FSRU mode as an almost permanent station, 34 km off the coast, so as to ensure continuity of supplies.


The main functions of the regasifier ship are:

• Reception of LNG: the gas is transferred from conventional methane tankers to the regasifier ship
• Storage of LNG: once transferred on board the ship, LNG is temporarily stored in the tank, thus enabling the continuity of the regasification process
• Regasification: on board the ship, LNG is brought back to its natural state
• Input to the network: the natural gas is then input to the transportation network through the connection pipeline

The ship can be disconnected at any moment. In fact, it will be regularly disconnected for the scheduled maintenance operations which will take place in a dry dock.
When the ship is not connected to the buoy, the latter is withdrawn under water in proximity of the sea bottom or it can be used by other regasifier ships.

 

REGASIFICATION - WHAT HAPPENS ON BOARD THE SHIP

 

The gas, which is previously liquefied through cooling (-162C), is transported to methane tankers in whole safety and delivered to the regasification plant. Here the gas recovers its gaseous state through a simple process of heat exchange between seawater, which is pumped into suitable chambers, and the pipelines containing LNG. Then, the gas does not need any further treatments and is ready to be delivered to the national transportation network, managed by Snam Rete Gas.