The expanded Batangas – Manila Natural Gas Pipeline project is the only energy project that can be found under the Public – Private Partnership (PPP) program, a top PPP official said.
“For now, coming from the DOE, there is one energy-related project. It’s not about power generation, it’s about the transmission of natural gas,” PPP Center executive director Ferdinand Pecson said.
The Bat – Man project is still being processed under the PPP program and the DOE previously said that it is looking at options in getting the project off ground.
However, Pecson said that the DOE is still revising the scope of the original P10.53 billion Bat – Man project that includes not only pipelines but also the regasification facility for natural gas.
“Actually, what the DOE has to decide about…is the scope that they now want to have for this project. Before it’s just a pipeline now they said they actually now want to go further upstream and include the facility or the plant that will take in the raw material and process this into gas that will then be distributed,” he said.
Originally, Bat – Man project is a 121-kilometer transmission pipeline that will transport and supply natural gas from Batangas to Metro Manila.
But, forming a fuel mix policy is critical in realizing the project because massive development like Bat – Man would need incentives, Pecson said.
“It will need fuel mix policy…because along with that policy is really creating the right kinds of incentives and also other measures for that policy to actually happen. There will be sort of an intervention in terms of incentives that will be provided. So the kinds of energy in that mix they would like to promote will actually happen,” he said.
In previous reports, DOE said that they are working on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) policy in providing additional power for the country.
The agency is also reviewing the country’s fuel mix policy “to find the correct mix.” DOE is looking at 65 percent from baseload plants, 25 percent from mid – merit plants and 10 percent from peaking plants.
The plan of having a gas pipeline from Batangas to Manila has been in the project list since 2000 and this is part of the original Malampaya project development plan. This renewed interest in the project will never materialize until Mr. Cusi and his DOE team comes out with a long term energy plan or policy and establishes the justification for proceeding with this project. At present the Lopez group is planning on installing their own LNG receiving and regasification terminal to supply their own gas fired power plant and most likely this can be on stream by 2020. If ever this DOE plan of putting up another LNG receiving and regasification terminal at Batangas including the Batangas-Manila gas pipeline this can be possibly on stream by 2022. And DOE has to find the user for this gas and most likely the conversion of Sucat and Malaya power plants from oil to gas fired CCGT, use for transport i.e. CNG, conversion of industrial fired heaters to gas, using the terminal as hub for small LNG system, etc. and in addition he has to trim the number of coal plants to be installed and also he has to consider renewable energy in the mix to balance the power supply and demand. All these items has to be considered in a long term energy policy or plan so as to maybe rationalize and optimize the system and come out with a reliable, stable and affordable system. Until a long term energy policy or plan is established all news released by DOE on LNG project is just plain talk and we cannot expect anything soon to materialize.
elmer, how about a 30MW LNG plant in sucat as initial start up project, excess LNG is for Land transport. No pipeline, NO LNG receiving, LOWER Cost and easy to easy up.
Voi, If you start with 30MW CCGT using LPG or LNG you will need around 150 tons/day of fuel. This is equivalent to 256 m3/day or 5 trucks delivery per day. You will need at least a 10 days fuel storage tank at Sucat and the supporting utilities for the power plant.
Use pipeline. Dont add more trucks in the road system. Kawawa motorists sa South Luzon and South Metro.