The importance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has grown significantly worldwide in recent months. Gas is also an important component for Germany to secure its energy supply. BUTTING has been supporting this industry for several decades – in addition to clad pipes for extracting gas (upstream), BUTTING also manufactures longitudinally welded stainless steel pipes for the treatment and processing sector (downstream).
The German government's LNG Acceleration Act is intended to drive forward the development of the LNG infrastructure. Projects include both land-based and floating terminals (floating storage and regasification units, or FSRUs). BUTTING has already supplied corrosion-resistant pipes in the materials 1.4462 / UNS S31803 (duplex), 1.4410 / UNS S32750 (superduplex) and TP 316L for various such FSRUs.
The liquefied natural gas terminal in Wilhelmshaven has been in operation since December 2022 and is the first completed facility of its kind in Germany. BUTTING supplied duplex pipes in the material 1.4462 / UNS S31803 with the dimensions 16" 40s in accordance with EN10217-7 TC2 AD2000 W2 and VdTÜV418. The terminal's construction time was only 6 months – a tight schedule for the implementation of the project and thus also a tight time window for the delivery of the pipes. BUTTING was able to draw on its own pipe store, which stocks around 5,000 metric tonnes of pipes in 15 different materials. It offers customers a wide range of products with short delivery times, flexible quantities and the additional option of finishing stock pipes, which meant that the construction project in Wilhelmshaven could be supplied within a very short space of time. Another LNG terminal is being built in Brunsbüttel. Here, too, BUTTING supplied 400 metres of longitudinally welded pipes in the material TP316L with the dimensions 10" 40s in accordance with ASTM A358 Cl1 from the existing pipe store.
According to Michael Fürstenberg, Senior Sales Manager Stainless steel welded pipes, "BUTTING has already supplied pipes for many international projects in the LNG sector in the past. These include export terminals (e.g. in the USA), FLNG and LNG tankers as well as LNG import terminals (e.g. in the Netherlands and France). We are pleased to be able to support the Federal Government's path in developing new energy sources – for more sustainability and quality of life."
BUTTING – more than pipes – for a better quality of life
