The state-run Korea Gas Corp. said Wednesday it has successfully placed a roof on its 270 million liter LNG storage tank in Samcheok, Gangwon Province ― the first and largest of its kind.

The storage tank is one of three 270 million liters tanks currently under construction, with the new roof placed on tank No. 11. KOGAS plans to place a roof on tank No. 10 on April 22.

The new roof weighs 1,210 tons. It was constructed on the ground, with KOGAS using a compressed air technique to raise the roof from the bottom of the tank, according to company officials. 


Construction of the roof required a high level of skill, KOGAS officials stated, and would not have been successful without precise and thorough preparation beforehand.

KOGAS has developed its LNG tanks using local skills since 1997. Since 2002, the company has refined its techniques and saved 410 billion won in costs, according to officials.

The company said the success of the air compression technique meant it could construct the largest LNG storage tank in the world, and also provide an opportunity to export local skills to foreign markets.

By Sang Youn-joo (sangyj@heraldcorp.com)