HK firm plans 300-MW LNG facility in RP

Hong Kong-based power firm Energy World International Ltd. (EWI) is planning to put up a 300-megawatt (MW) liquefied natural gas (LNG)-run power plant in Pagbilao, Quezon, official documents showed.

Based on the latest Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) status report, EWI has finalized the feasibility study for the project.

The documents indicated that EWI is now in the process of securing permits and licenses for the construction of the combined cycle gas turbine power facility.

“Commissioning will be 36 months from financial closure,” the EPIRA report said.

The report noted that  two years ago, the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region IV-A had approved a resolution on EWI’s proposal to construct the power plant.

“By adopting EWI’s project proposal, RDC IV-A thus welcomes and supports the firm’s intent to explore the possibility and legality of investing in power generation using LNG in the region,” RDC IV-A vice chairman Severino Santos had said.

Santos said the council and its member agencies would extend support as EWI prepares the project’s feasibility study and secures local development council endorsements, environment compliance certificate and other requirements before approval and implementation.

The council noted that the project is consistent with the country’s program of developing the natural gas industry and in promoting private sector investment in the energy sector.

The project is consistentt with Calabarzon’s Regional Energy Plan for 2005-2014 as well as its Regional Development Plan 2005-2010.

The proposed power facility will be divided in two phases of 150 MW each, construction of a mother LNG terminal, and development of a network of storage and distribution facilities throughout the country, among others.

Once constructed, this will be the first LNG-fired power facility in the country.

LNG is natural gas that has been converted to liquid form for ease of storage or transport. LNG is more cost-efficient to transport over long distances where gas pipelines do not exist. LNG can also be transported by specially designed LNG vessels.

So far, there are various firms that plan to put up LNG termina in the country. Among these are PTT of Thailand, Marubeni Corp. of Japan, Russian power firm Gazprom and Petrochina.

Currently, there are three natural gas-fired power facilities in the country namely:

Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo power plants of First Gen Corp. in Batangas; and 1,200 MW Ilijan power plant of Korea Electric and Power Co. and National Power Corp.

There is also a plan to put up a gas pipeline loop in Luzon starting with a 100-kilometer Batangas-Manila gas pipeline.