Dunkerque LNG Terminal: Tanks design

Louis MARRACCI, Brahim DJESSAS Djessas, Anthony SCARAMOZZINO
BOUYGUES Travaux Publics

Abstract

The consortium composed of Entrepose Projets and Bouygues Travaux Publics has won a tender held by Dunkerque LNG, subsidiary of EDF, to design and build the three cryogenic LNG (liquefied natural gas) storage tanks of methane terminal of Dunkerque (Dunkirk) in Northern France. Each of the tanks has a working capacity of 190.000 m3. Their main dimensions are 91 m in diameter and 50 m height. They are among the largest “full containment tanks” built in the world, composed of an internal  9% Nickel steel inner tank which will contain the LNG at a temperature of -163°C, thanks to an insulation system composed of perlite, foamglas, fiberglass, etc…, and of an outer concrete structure (prestressed wall, reinforced dome and raft). Bouygues Travaux Publics builds the concrete structures and carry out the soil improvement. Construction of the concrete structure started at the beginning of 2012 and is almost completed at this time. Such project allows dealing with major structural design issues such as the geotechnical engineering, seismic analysis and as well the analysis of very specific accidental situations.