GE Oil & Gas will acquire the assets of Texas-based Salof Companies, a designer of small-scale LNG technologies.
Privately held Salof is known for its cryogenic plant design and fabrication for small LNG and CO2 applications. GE recently launched LNG solutions with a smaller footprint and capacity that are complementary to Salof’s offerings.
Adding Salof to the portfolio will add additional capabilities and manufacturing footprint, while Salof can draw upon GE’s breadth and global operations, positioning both companies for growth in this sector.
In North America, the demand for small-scale LNG production is growing as vast new discoveries of natural gas are making it cost-efficient to use cleaner burning natural gas for transportation, fleet management, marine and other industrial uses.
The technologies can encourage the transition of long-haul trucks and locomotives from diesel fuel to LNG, contribute to emissions reduction, capture flare gas at drilling sites and landfills and help eliminate the need for costly pipeline infrastructure in remote areas. Additionally, small-scale LNG technology is employed to develop export terminal infrastructure for LNG.
“This move is not only good for GE and Salof, it also will provide more options for customers around the world as they look for new ways to cut both emissions and costs by using cleaner burning natural gas,” said Daniel C. Heintzelman, president and CEO, GE Oil & Gas.
Small LNG solutions typically offer customers a cost-effective standard or modular, plug-and-play solution. They can be located in remote areas, industrial sites or even highway fueling stations. Depending on the design, they can be moved and redeployed as needed.
Salof has nearly 200 employees located at its Texas manufacturing facility. Together with the US acquisition, GE will acquire a 50 percent ownership interest in Beijing enCryo Engineering, a Beijing-based joint venture with Beijing Maison Engineering that has been a partner with the Salof Companies for projects in China and elsewhere.