End User Interview
sector, the plant is taking steps to incorporate smarter technology into its operations. Charles elaborates:“ We’ re deploying the Accelerated Asset Intervention Programme to minimise disruptions. We’ re replacing components, but not just like for like— now we’ re focused on adding technology that gives us diagnostics and predictive capabilities. If I were to buy a valve now or a positioner, it has to come smart, where it provides me with the needed diagnostics that I don’ t have to go to the valve to know.” This proactive approach helps the plant avoid unnecessary downtime and supports its sustainability efforts.“ If I have a valve with a Low Friction alert, I know I need to check it immediately to ensure it doesn’ t result in Loss of Primary Containment or cause environmental harm,” Charles adds. The plant also focuses on sustainability through improved environmental packaging and selecting materials that minimise leakage risks.“ We’ re looking for environmental packing that ensures no leaks to the environment,” Charles explains.“ This is an ongoing effort to align with global sustainability goals, and we have a whole team dedicated to ensuring we meet these objectives.”
Looking forward: Train 7 and beyond
Looking ahead, the plant is gearing up for the commissioning and startup phase of Train 7, a significant project that is 80 % complete. The engineer describes the excitement surrounding this development:“ Train 7 is coming along well, and we’ re excited to participate in it. We’ re also looking at Train 8 and beyond. It’ s an exciting time for the team, and it’ s a big step for us in increasing our market share.” While the new trains will incorporate some of the latest technology, the plant will focus on maintaining consistency with existing infrastructure.“ You want to avoid straying too far from what’ s already in place,” he states.“ Whilst we will incorporate new technologies where appropriate, we have to balance that with the total cost of ownership of the whole complex in terms of our inventory holding, the attendant issue with lead times and storage implications. Our advantage is also our existing technology, so we are not planning to stray far from this.”
One key takeaway from the conversation was the importance of strengthening relationships with suppliers to ensure smoother operations.“ We’ re actively working on building stronger relationships with our suppliers and exploring ways for them to hold stock for us in-country,” Charles states.“ This would help reduce lead times and ensure that we have the parts we need when we need them. The goal is to create a more seamless supply chain to support our operation.”
Conclusion
As the Lead Plant Engineer at NLNG, Charles’ role involves overseeing complex systems and ensuring the plant remains operational despite the challenges of aging infrastructure, supply chain delays and environmental concerns. His insights into the ongoing efforts to improve efficiency, sustainability and technology adoption highlight the ever-evolving nature of LNG operations. With new projects like Train 7 on the horizon, the future looks promising for Nigeria LNG, and Charles remains focused on ensuring the plant’ s continued success for years to come.
16 Valve World May 2025 www. valve-world. net