philippines lng terminal construction to begin

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Philippines Business Mirror

Written by John Bello / Correspondent

Sunday, 17 January 2010 18:55


PAGBILAO, QuezonThe construction of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and storage facility project here is expected to start in March with the issuance of the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).

Former Quezon governor Eduardo Rodriguez on Thursday said that the ECC was issued by the DENR-EMB after evaluation of the documents submitted by the project proponent, Energy World Corp. (EWC).

Jessie Conde, chief of the Pollution Control Division and officer in charge of EMB-Calabarzon, approved and signed the ECC last Dec. 29.

Site preparation has already been done to the LNG project and the issuance of an ECC by the DENR-EMB last Dec. 29 would kick off the actual construction of the project in March or April, said Rodriguez, who has been tasked by Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes to oversee the construction of the P2-billion project, considered as a cheaper and cleaner energy source.

The groundbreaking ceremony of the project was held in August last year and was attended by Nantes, Rodriguez, EWC managing director Stewart Elliot, former Fourth District board member Sonny Pulgar and other provincial, municipal and barangay officials here.

The LNG project in barangay Ibabang Polo here covers an area of 21 hectares and is expected to employ about 2,000 workers, Rodriguez said, adding he has already started a training program for 500 workers in Catanauan town in Bondoc Peninsula in anticipation of the issuance of the ECC to the project by the DENR-EMB.

Rodriguez, appointed last year by Nantes as Bondoc Peninsula Development officer, earlier disclosed the ECC issuance to the LNG project during the jam-packed birthday celebration of Nantes on Jan. 4 held at the Queen Margarette Restaurant in barangay Domoit, Lucena City.

Among the invited guests on Nantess 53rd birthday celebration were Rodriguez and Elliot, who thanked the incumbent governor for allowing the project to be established for the production of cleaner energy that would benefit not only Quezon province, but the whole country.

The LNG terminal and storage facility project would store up to 1 million tons of LNG. Among the facilities to be constructed are an office building, two units of storage tanks with a capacity of 130,000 cubic meters each, jetty and receiving terminal, trestle, regassification area, storage area, motorpool, and other support facilities.

The project proponent claims that natural gas is a cleaner and more efficient fuel source and produces approximately 45 percent less carbon dioxide than coal, and 30 percent less than burning fuel oil.

LNG would be distributed by an LNG carrier vessel to outlying terminals nationwide and loaded in tank containers for rail distribution to target destinations. A port and passenger terminal and a hotel and resort will also be constructed at the plant site.

Nantes believes that the construction of the 300-megawatt LNG power-plant project along with the 750-megawatt Pagbilao power plant and 440-megawatt power plant in Mauban would add up to 1,490 megawatts of electricity to be generated from Quezon and ensure its real progress.