Apparatus and systems for liquefaction of natural gas

An at-shore water-based apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas, the at-shore water-based apparatus configured to be moored at an at-shore location, the apparatus comprising:

• a hull defining a bow, a stern, a port side, a starboard side, a centerline axis extending from the bow to the stern, and a mid-ship axis extending between the starboard side to the port side at a middle of the hull, and wherein the hull comprises a plurality of support structures extending through an upper deck of the hull;
• an air-cooled electrically-driven refrigeration system (“AER System”) on the upper deck of the hull, the AER System comprising a first refrigeration train and a second refrigeration train, wherein a substantial portion of the first refrigeration train is aft of the mid-ship axis and a substantial portion of the second refrigeration train is forward of the mid-ship axis such that a weight of the first refrigeration train is balanced against a weight of the second refrigeration train about the mid-ship axis;
• the first refrigeration train and the second refrigeration train each comprising one or more interconnected, electrically driven modules being supported by the plurality of support structures, the one or more interconnected, electrically driven modules comprising compressors, air coolers, and a cryogenic heat exchanger;
• the AER System being operatively configured to (i) receive electricity and feed gas from an external source, the external source being separate from the at-shore water-based apparatus, (ii) perform a refrigeration process for converting the feed gas into a liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) with the received electricity using the compressors and the cryogenic heat exchanger operatively, (iii) discharge substantially all thermal energy from the refrigeration process to ambient air with the air coolers, and (iv) output the LNG;
• and
• a plurality of LNG storage tanks that are on a lower deck of the hull operatively configured to input the LNG from the AER System, and operatively configured to output the LNG to an LNG transport vessel that is separate from the at-shore water-based apparatus.