With its collective experience and specialised knowledge, the LNG Solutions Group offers clients unique, seamless, comprehensive business solutions covering the entire LNG value chain, including gas supply and market assessments, gas price outlooks, safety and security, commercial, contracting and regulatory permitting aspects, risk assessments, and marine and shipping aspects.

DNV is a world leading independent advisor in the different phases of the development of LNG projects:

1. Concept definition and selection

• Technical and commercial due diligence to obtain impartial unbiased expert opinions in connection with:
  asset acquisitions or project financing.
• Siting and operation assessments of onshore and offshore liquefaction/ regasification terminals evaluated from technical and business risk perspectives, considering access, environmental impacts, health, safety, security, the interface with marine traffic and varying sizes of LNG carriers etc, to increase the probability of DNV’s clients obtaining project sanctions in a timely manner.
• Technical permitting and regularatory compliance assurance or representation at public or governmental hearings to provide impartial, unbiased expert opinions.
• Project risk assessments (technical and commercial) to improve clients’ decision-making basis.
• Integrated economic and technical analyses of parts of, or the whole, value chain, taking into account the impact of internal and external risks to improve clients’ understanding of risk drivers and their impacts on economic and technical indicators.
• Reliability and maintainability (RAM) analyses to optimise the operation of the terminals or total value chain, resulting in security of LNG and gas supplies.
• The most attractive concepts are often based on novel technological solutions. Without a proven track record this can be critical for the concept selection. DNV assists in the qualification of new technology to demonstrate that the technology can be safely applied without threatening the feasibility of the concept with respect to functionality, safety and project schedule.

2. Project execution, i.e. design and fabrication

• Verification services: The aim is to ensure that all the specified design and quality requirements for the terminal, its associated systems and components are met. The scope of the verification activities can be aligned with the clients’ own systematics, and will typically address the design, materials and component fabrication as well as transportation to site and installation issues. The focus will be on functionality, safety, environmental issues and project specific requirements, such as schedules.

3. Verification services; offered for both onshore and offshore facilities

• Classification services provide a consistent package which is applicable for floating liquefaction facilities and floating storage and regasification units. The classification concept is well known in the shipping industry and is in many respects an effective quality control instrument. The scope of the classification services may be similar to that of verification services, but in both cases the focus will always be on safeguarding life, property and the environment.
• Certification of materials and components. LNG facilities are composed of materials and components from a large number of manufacturers and vendors. DNV offers certification services to ensure that all the parts and materials are manufactured and delivered with the right specifications and in compliance with relevant standards.
• Advice on design issues related to structure, safety systems or process design, i.e. reliability and maintainability (RAM) analyses, are offered to select process solutions that will optimise the operation or capacity of the facility.

4. Operational phase

• A key issue during the operational phase is to ensure reliable operations with a minimum of interruption to maintenance and inspection procedures, without impairing safety or the environment. DNV is working with major LNG producers to implement and apply Reliability Centered Maintennance (RCM) and Risk Based Inspection(RBI) methodologies in order to optimise inspection and maintenance activities with a minimum of disturbance to the operations and added costs.
• The LNG industry has a very good safety record, but incidents and accidents do happen. DNV has helped on several occasions to investigate failures and recommend modifications and repairs.