The Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) is looking to construct its liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub piece-by-piece, starting from the floating storage and regasification unit with power plant (FDSU-PP).
PNOC said that the project should take its place by 2019 or 2020. Located in offshore Tabangao, Batangas, the project is seen to address the country’s emergency power needs during natural calamities.
“The availability of an ‘army reserve,’ that is, power that is notably ship-based that could be dispatched to areas needing emergency electricity while using clean energy will undoubtedly avoid the recurrence of a similar incident in Ormoc, Leyte. Unexpected power outages as a result of natural calamities can be swiftly addressed with the availability of an FSRU-PP,” PNOC said.
As soon as the power plant is completed, PNOC said that they would have enough income to continue to the second phase of the terminal “without incurring any loan that will additionally burden the country.”
Phase 2 includes onshore activities such as a five metric tons per annum (MTPA) storage units, regasification, power plant and distribution/redistribution.
The project is targeted to be located at the 60-hectare property of the National Development Corp. (NDC) in San Pascual, Batangas.
“The Batangas LNG Hub project is expected to provide for the requirements of the five existing Malampaya-dependent natural gas power plants in Batangas during Malampaya maintenance shutdown. On a larger scale, the hub will address the gap in energy capacity once the Malampaya gas field is depleted and the service contract expires in 2024. It will assure the sustained supply of the gas requirements of the five Malampaya-dependent power plants,” PNOC said.
The LNG hub is eyed to be completed by 2020, as it will help meet the requirements of gas-fired power plants supplied by the Malampaya gas facility.
