Cote d'Ivoire Project Hires Engineer

UK-based BMT Group’s Asia-Pacific division has been appointed Owners Engineer and lead design consultant by US firm Endeavor Energy for the latter’s planned development of a floating LNG storage and regasification (FSRU) facility, as part of its Songon gas-to-power project near the Cote d'Ivoire capital, Abidjan.

BMT said May 12 it will conduct front-end engineering and design (Feed) and other studies. Endeavor forecast in February it would reach financial close on the overall Songon project in 3Q 2016.

Andrew Bridson, BMT Business Development Manager said May 12: “The Songon Power Project, jointly led by Endeavor Energy and Starenergie2073 is expected to add approximately 375 MW to Cote d’Ivoire’s national grid, a boost in generation capacity that will sustain and propel the country’s rapidly expanding economy.”

Cote d'Ivoire was plagued by civil wars in 2002-04 and 2010-11 but enjoyed GDP growth of 8.5% in 2014. In mid-2015 the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) signed a contract with UK engineer Penspen for a feasibility study on extending the Nigeria-to-Ghana 'West Africa Gas Pipeline' westward to Cote d'Ivoire, a further sign of confidence in the economy. But on March 13 the country was shaken by an Islamist militant gun attack on the beach resort of Grand Bassam, 40km east of Abidjan, in which 18 were killed. Songon is on the coast some 40km west of the capital.

BMT previously worked as a consultant with Endeavor on a planned FSRU in Ghana. Endeavor's is among three projects in Ghana where an FSRU is envisaged. However, to date, only one of these – the rival West African Gas Limited scheme (NNPC 60%, Sahara Energy 40%) – has chartered an FSRU vessel. WAGL chartered the FSRU, Golar Tundra, from Golar LNG which is scheduled for deployment at the port of Tema in 2Q 2016.

Mark Smedley