INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Kinetrex Energy announced the installation of a new $4 million cold box at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on the north west side of Indianapolis. The newly installed Air Liquide cold box will expand the plant’s production capacity by 30%. The unit is expected to go on-line in early February 2019.

“We are in the process of modernizing and increasing production of the LNG North plant, which was originally built in 1991,” said Aaron Johnson, President and CEO of Kinetrex Energy. “LNG North plays an important role not only for Kinetrex but also for the City of Indianapolis insofar as it has the ability to vaporize up to 180,000,000 cubic feet of natural gas per day into the Citizens Gas distribution system if called upon by the utility.”

LNG is natural gas which is liquefied and cooled at a liquefaction plant. The liquefaction process cools, condenses, and reduces the pressure and temperature of the natural gas so that methane, the main constituent of natural gas, liquefies. Cold boxes convert a gas to a liquid at a very low temperature (-260F). LNG occupies 1/600th of its volume as a gas which makes it easy to transport via cryogenic trailers. Once LNG is delivered at a customer’s location it can be warmed and re-gasified.

Kinetrex operates two liquefied natural gas plants in Indianapolis, LNG North and LNG South in Beech Grove. Kinetrex LNG plants provide 2 billion cubic feet of LNG storage capacity which helps fuel many companies across the Midwest.