Quezon ex-governor explains liquefied natural gas safety

Lucena City , Philippines  – Former governor Eduardo Rodriguez, proponent of the 300 MW Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant project explained the safety of the said power plant in reaction to the press statement released by the fisherfolk group Pambansang Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) stating the adverse effects of the project because of explosion cases recorded in some countries.

He clarified that the fisherfolk’s reports about the accidental explosion happened in several countries of which natural gas was associated. “There are other power plants of LNG in the country but there were no disastrous reports recorded here in the Philippines,” he hinted.

Rodriguez said that the common denominator of the incidents happened in Belgium in July 2004 which killed 23 people; in France which killed 30; in Saudi Arabia in Nov. 2007 which killed 28; and in an island off Western Australia which caused a massive fire; in Belgium, killing 23 people and in Toulouse, France, causing damage totaling 2.3 billion euro. They all used natural gas but he questioned the role of the LNG on their operation.

He cited the reports in Ghislenghien, Belgium, on July 30, 2004 that the occurrence was a pipeline incident, not attributable to an LNG plant. He said the same case happened on Sept. 21, 2001, in Toulouse, France but the incident was associated with manufacturing ammonia, urea and ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer plant, and using natural gas to operate the plant.

Rodriguez said that there is no gas field of LNG plant to be established in Quezon province. It was just a hub terminal of natural gas supplied from Sengkang Gasfield Indonesia (SGI), South Sulawesi, Indonesia that will help to generate the 300-MW power plant providing electricity for Luzon grid consumptions.

He added that LNG will also be converted back to natural gas by re-gasification process which will be provided with fuel for a 300 MW combined cycle power station to be constructed adjacent to the hub terminal site. The natural gas can also be delivered by pipe line to provide “city gas” for Metro Manila. It provides back up to the supply of natural gas from the offshore Malampaya gas field. –Michelle Zoleta (The Philippine Star)