System and apparatus for liquefaction of natural gas

A system for liquefaction of natural gas, the system comprising:

• land-based facilities connected to a source of electricity and feed gas;
• and
• an at-shore water-based apparatus separate from but connected to the land-based facilities, wherein the source of electricity and feed gas is external to the at-shore water-based apparatus and the water-based apparatus is moored to an at-shore location, the water-based apparatus comprising:
• a hull configured to be operable when moored to the at-shore location, the hull defining a bow, a stern, and a centerline axis extending from the bow to the stern;
• an air-cooled electrically-driven refrigeration system (“AER System”) comprising one or more interconnected modules operatively configured to (i) receive electricity and feed gas from the source of electricity and feed gas, (ii) perform a refrigeration process for converting the feed gas into a liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) with the received electricity using a plurality of electrically-driven compressors and a cryogenic heat exchanger operatively configured on the water-based apparatus, (iii) discharge substantially all thermal energy from the refrigeration process to ambient air with air coolers operatively configured on the water-based apparatus, and (iv) output the LNG;
• and
• a plurality of LNG storage tanks that are on a lower deck of the hull, the plurality of LNG storage tanks operatively configured to receive the LNG from the AER System, and operatively configured to output the LNG to an LNG transport vessel that is separate from the water-based apparatus;
• wherein:
• the AER System comprises one or more refrigeration trains;
• each refrigeration train of the one or more refrigeration trains comprises a portion of the electrically-driven compressors and a portion of the air coolers;
• and
• the air coolers at least or only partially cover the one or more refrigeration trains.