Iran NIGC Studying Tenders for First Mini LNG Plant

The first small-scale liquefied natural gas plant will be built in Kerman Province, said the research and technology director of the National Iranian Gas Company.

NIGC announced a tender to select a qualified contractor to develop the project and is currently studying  submissions from 6 firms, Saeed Pakseresht noted.

With limited production capacity, mini LNG plants are suitable for supplying small volumes of liquefied gas to remote regions using tankers and ships, ISNA reported.

“The mini plant will have a production capacity of 30 tons of LNG per day, and according to preliminary estimates will cost $11.5 million and take three years to build,” he  added.

By comparison, a typical large-scale plant has a production capacity of between 2.5 and 7.5 million tons of LNG per year depending on size.

Moreover, the country’s largest liquefied natural gas venture, known as "Iran LNG," at Tombak Port, 50km north of Assaluyeh Port in Bushehr Province, has made a 60% progress with an investment of $1.8 billion. 

Talks are underway to complete it at a total cost of $3 billion in two years when NIGC will be able to export the first LNG cargo from the Persian Gulf.