Twenty20 Energy plans 12 ‘power islands’ for PNG

Energy transition developer Twenty20 Energy said July 11 it would deploy its proprietary power island floating regasification and power (FSRP) units to 12 locations across Papua New Guinea.

The project, undertaken in a joint venture with Dirio Gas & Power and on behalf of PAWA PNG, will provide 283 MW of power generating capacity fueled by LNG and heat recovery generation technology. It will replace aging diesel-fired generating capacity and provide additional generating capacity where it is needed most.

Twenty20 hopes the technology will serve as a model for future nearshore power generation plants in coastal regions worldwide.

“Our power island FSRP design leverages the abundance of domestically produced LNG in Papua New Guinea, delivering a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution to power generation for coastal communities,” Twenty20 CEO Geoff Lawrence said. “The adoption of the technology in Papua New Guinea demonstrates that the power island FSRP should be an attractive solution to similar coastal and island communities across the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.”

Each power island FSRP unit consists of three components: power barges, which contain regasification and generating equipment, fuel barges, where LNG is stored, and floating piers, which will moor the barges in each location.

The fuel barges, which will provide enough LNG to meet 30 days of demand, will be towed to one of three centrally located LNG bulk storage hubs, where they will be bunkered before being returned to the floating pier.

The power islands will be deployed just offshore 12 cities, with three of the more strategic locations – Daru, Lae and Lihir – also hosting bulk LNG storage facilities. Each power island will provide 8.6-21.9 MW of generating capacity, and each can be modified according to demand growth.