Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co Ltd (IHI) plans to build the world’s first floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, according to a Japanese daily. The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper (Japan) has reported that Royal/Dutch Shell Group is planning to use the plant, which could be finished as early as 2005 at its LNG project off Australia. The floating plant, about the size of a 300,000-tonne tanker, would slash production costs and limit the risk of hostile attacks, the report said. IHI officials were not available for immediate comment.