Built in 1949, the Mina Al Ahmadi gas port is one of the largest and after extensive modernisation projects, is now one of the most modern of its kind.  Stretching over a colossal 10,534,00 m² site located 45km south of Kuwait City, its primary function is oil refining and gas liquefaction operations.  The site produces in excess of 415,000 barrels per day, providing much of the gasoline, kerosene and diesel that are required by the local market.

As part of the two major site overhauls Safecontrol was approached by consultancy group Mouchel in the Autumn of 2007 to aid in the design over various systems for the plant.  These systems included a fibre optic network (referred to as Instrumentation Communication System), close circuit television system, public address system, IT local area network and telecoms system.  After an extensive site visit carried out by two Safecontrol Design Engineers, headed by Senior Designer, Alan Bankhurst, the initial designs were drawn up.  The first site visit involved the Design Engineers familiarising themselves the local environment that they would be designing the systems for.  In depth discussions took place with the various users of the systems and also the key people that the systems would affect.  From this the Designers were able to form the initial design specifications along with the parameters and requirements set out by Mouchel.  Back in the UK the various systems were designed in line with the findings.  Detailed specifications, schematic drawings and systems details were drawn up to complete the design.

Upon completion of the design, Safecontrol was invited to put forward a tender for the Instrumentation Communication System.  In March 2009 Safecontrol was notified that their bid was successful for the supply and export of the associated equipment.  Safecontrol was instructed with an eight week window in which system was built up and factory acceptance tested prior to be exported to Kuwait.  The painstaking process of procuring all the equipment began.  With the system comprising of over a thousand individual components ranging from cabinets through to air flow monitors and coming from around fifteen suppliers, this was an arduous task in itself which had to be carefully managed and controlled.  The short time frame meant that there was no margin for error.

The system comprised of fibre optic and copper cabling that connects the various control rooms and local equipment rooms for the various control systems including emergency shutdown system, unloading arm, berthing system and fire alarm system.  Due to the vast length of the jetty it was necessary to use fibre optic cabling to provide for site wide connectivity.   A combination of singlemode and multimode fibre optic cables was used for the long hauls and short hauls respectively.  Media converters were installed within the sub racks within each of the cabinets to provide for fibre to copper conversion.  Category 6 structured cabling was then used to allow for the local area network connectivity.

The Cabinets were built up over the subsequent weeks by two dedicated Engineers.  Upon completion the system was ready for the factory acceptance tests.  The system was tested for end to end connectivity by sending and receiving packets of data through the system.  The tests were witnessed before a Mouchel representative on behalf of KNPC and also independent verification body Germanischer Lloyd.  The system proved to work consistency well and passed each test.  The cabinets and associated equipment was then packaged and transported via air freight to Kuwait for installation at the gas port by local labour.

The project involved an Energy Bridge Re-gasification Vessel (EBRV) that would be moored at the Mina Al Ahmadi Gas Port.  The EBRV carries liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the process equipment to convert it into high pressure natural gas.  Once moored the ERBV unloads the LNG into the Kuwait grid.