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Joint Journal of Novel Carbon Resource Sciences and Green Asia Strategy

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Evaluating the energy/exergy efficiency of utilizing cold energy from LNG regasification for cooling and power generation

Hien Phuoc Huynh1,2,*
1Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnam
2Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
E-mail: hphien@hcmut.edu.vn (HPH)
Received: February 20, 2025 | Revised: August 04, 2025 | Accepted: August 24, 2025 | Published: March 2026
Abstract
LNG, liquefied at temperatures below -162°C, requires significant energy for production and must be re-gasified before consumer distribution. Traditional regasification methods waste LNG's valuable cold energy. This paper presents an innovative system collecting LNG cold energy for power generation and refrigeration. An Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) with propane working fluid uses part of the cold energy as a heat sink, while the remainder supports cold storage via a CO2 cycle. Thermal and exergy efficiencies were evaluated using EES software. For an LNG terminal with a 3 MPTA capacity, under optimal conditions, 12 MW of cold energy is used for refrigeration and the ORC produces 11,494 MW of electricity from seawater heat.
Keywords
Cold energy; Cold storages; LNG regasification; Organics Rankine Cycle (ORC); Power generation
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