Honeywell announced on April 13 that its liquefaction process technology and equipment will be used in NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG Train 4 and Train 5 projects in Brownsville, Texas. The agreement is made through Bechtel Energy, Inc., the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction contractor.
The expansion is significant as it aims to increase liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity at the facility by more than 66 percent, from 18 million tonnes per annum to 30 million tonnes per annum. All five trains at the site are expected to become operational by mid-2031.
According to Honeywell, its high efficiency coil wound heat exchanger equipment and C3MR process technology will help optimize production, improve reliability, and lower operating expenses for NextDecade. Christina Andersen, President of Gas & LNG at Honeywell said: “As the demand for energy increases, LNG will continue to play a significant role in meeting this demand and supporting global energy security. Honeywell’s scalable and customizable technology helps producers optimize facility performance and efficiency, and we work closely with our customers to provide solutions that meet their individual goals.”
The company reports that its offerings include pretreatment and liquefaction technologies as well as automation software designed to optimize overall plant performance. Modular LNG technology from Honeywell can be built off-site then shipped for installation at export facilities—a method intended to reduce risk and speed up construction timelines compared with traditional methods.
In addition to maximizing available space with safe operation through coil wound heat exchanger units, Honeywell states that its C3MR process is currently the most widely used liquefaction process worldwide. Further information about Honeywell’s end-to-end LNG solutions can be found on their website.
Looking ahead, all five trains using this technology are scheduled for completion by mid-2031.
