Kawasaki Secures Nod for Floating Power Plant

Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industry has secured approval in principle (AiP) from ship classification agency DNV GL for the design of a gas-fired floating power plant using its own gas turbine, the company said on October 16.

The turbine's use at the combined-cycle station complies with gas power plant rules introduced by DNV last year, Kawasaki said in a statement. The station also consists of LNG fuel tanks, a LNG regasification unit, generation equipment and a switchyard, all outfitted on the hull. It can be towed on the sea or river and then moored at an installation site, where it can power facilities onshore.

“Demand for this type of power plant is expected to be strong in countries where demand for electricity is rapidly increasing, such as in southeast Asia,” Kawasaki said. The plant could provide power on islands and at other locations where securing stable electricity supply is difficult, it said, or in areas where there is not enough land to build onshore power generation.

The AiP follows an early initial approval by DNV of the use of Kawasaki’s own gas engine model at a floating LNG plant. The turbine, heat recovery steam generator, steam turbine, LNG fuel tank and other main components can all be manufactured at Kawasaki’s factories.