French cryogenic containment specialist GTT has secured a contract to design the storage tanks for what will become the world’s largest floating liquefied natural gas vessel, while simultaneously deepening its footprint across Africa’s fast-growing offshore gas sector.
GTT was selected by longstanding client Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) to design the cryogenic LNG storage tanks for Delfin FLNG 1 — the first floating LNG export unit to be installed in United States waters. Developed by Delfin Midstream for deployment off the coast of Louisiana, the vessel is set to become the largest FLNG unit ever built, with an annual production capacity of 4.4 million tonnes of LNG.
The vessel will incorporate eight cryogenic tanks arranged in two rows, with a combined storage capacity of 180,000 cubic metres. The tanks will use GTT’s proprietary Mark III Flex membrane containment system, a technology engineered to withstand demanding offshore conditions, including hurricane-force environments.
GTT Chief Executive Officer François Michel described the project as unprecedented in scale, adding that it would help expand global LNG supply and demonstrate the ability of the company’s membrane technology to meet the performance, reliability and safety requirements of large-scale offshore projects.
The contract follows a notice to proceed issued by Delfin Midstream to Samsung Heavy Industries in June, worth US$2.9 billion, covering construction of the vessel. Delivery is scheduled for mid-2030.
Beyond the North American market, GTT is reinforcing its position in Africa’s LNG sector, where floating units are increasingly regarded as the fastest route to monetising the continent’s vast offshore gas discoveries. The company had previously been contracted by Samsung Heavy Industries to design cryogenic membrane tanks for an FLNG unit destined for Africa, further cementing its growing role in the continent’s offshore gas expansion.
France’s broader LNG ecosystem occupies a central position in this expansion. Technip Energies played a defining role in the construction of Coral Sul FLNG — Africa’s first deepwater floating LNG project, off the coast of Mozambique — which began LNG exports in 2022. This year, Technip Energies secured, in partnership with JGC and Samsung Heavy Industries, a major new contract linked to the development of Coral Norte FLNG, the second floating LNG project in Mozambique, conceived as an enhanced replica of Coral Sul. The contract, whose combined value with earlier awards exceeds one billion euros (approximately US$1.14 billion), was definitively awarded on 8 June. It clears the way for project execution: Eni and its partners — CNPC, ENH, XRG and KOGAS — aim to bring Coral Norte into production in the second half of 2028, at a capacity of around 3.6 million tonnes per year, which would double the total capacity of the Coral hub to 7 million tonnes annually.
Together, Technip Energies and GTT are supplying critical technology and engineering for the next generation of LNG infrastructure across Africa.
The investment environment is supportive of this trend. Several African countries have been accelerating plans to monetise their offshore gas reserves through FLNG projects, which are typically faster to deploy and less capital-intensive than conventional onshore liquefaction facilities. Mozambique remains the continent’s primary FLNG market, while Senegal and Mauritania have already commenced production at the jointly developed Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project. In Namibia, a succession of offshore gas discoveries has fuelled expectations of future floating LNG projects, and Tanzania continues to advance plans to commercialise its substantial offshore gas resources.
With global LNG demand remaining robust — particularly across Europe and Asia — French companies are positioning themselves at the forefront of technologies that could transform Africa into one of the world’s fastest-growing LNG export hubs over the coming decade.
Source: Mercado
