Engineers Australia, the country’s peak body for the engineering profession, is set to launch its report examining the opportunities for floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) in Western Australia.
“Following extensive consultation with industry, academia and stakeholder groups, Engineers Australia has undertaken an in-depth review of the technical, economic and workforce issues surrounding the future of FLNG projects in Western Australia,” said Mr Francis Norman, incoming President of Engineers Australia’s Western Australia Division.
“The engineering workforce in Western Australia has a large number of skills directly relevant to support the installation, commissioning, decommissioning of FLNG facilities.”
Mr Norman said WA has the opportunity to establish itself as a centre of knowledge and excellence in the operations and maintenance of the technology, which would then be transferred into other regions of the world.
“If properly managed, these skills could then be marketed to organisations deploying FLNG into other regions of the world. This is a complex challenge that, if addressed properly, could have long-term benefit for our state,” he said.
“Organisations need to be given opportunities by operators to fill some knowledge gaps and enable them to offer the best services possible to the operators. Engineering companies need to be honest and open about their actual skills but also prepared to invest in developing the skills needed, and academia needs to produce both graduates and research that is relevant, wherever possible. With the positive engagement seen during the development of strong future for FLNG in Western Australia,” said Mr Norman.
The report is available from http://newsroom.engineersaustralia.org.au/news/media-release/engineering-peak-body-releases-floating-liquefied-natural-gas-flng-report.
 in Western Australia.){kind=link}