Gazprom Reports Progress on World’s Largest Helium Plant

The core equipment for a third production train is on its way to the Amur gas processing plant (GPP), Gazprom announced June 6. 

The Russian company’s CEO Alexei Miller noted that the 42bn m3/yr GPP has prepared the foundations of the third production train and will take delivery of the equipment in the summer.

The installation of key equipment for cryogenic gas separation and helium liquefaction on the first two trains has been completed at what will be the world’s largest helium production facility, he added.

The comments came as Miller met with Linde. The German engineering group will supply the Amur GPP,  under construction near Svobodny in the Amur Region, with the core process equipment for cryogenic recovery of helium and valuable petrochemical substances from gas.

Linde is also working with Gazprom on raising its LNG profile. The state-controlled Russian giant, which holds a monopoly on pipeline export out of Russia, has been slow on the uptake regarding LNG. It has watched independent Novatek leap ahead in selling frozen Russian gas.

However, Gazprom is now rushing to catch up. Miller reported that he now hopes to launch the delayed LNG production, storage and shipment complex being developed near the Portovaya compressor station on Nord Stream 1 by the end of 2019. Gazprom had originally hoped to launch the facility in north west Russia last year.

Linde will supply equipment to the 1.5mn mt/yr plant, which targets customers in the Baltic and North Seas region and for ship bunkering purposes in the Baltic Sea.