Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star)
- July 22, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department
of Energy (DOE) is finalizing a review committee, in partnership with the US
government and University of the Philippines (UP), that will evaluate
applications for liquefied natural gas (LNG) project as more companies are
interested in developing the country’s natural gas industry.
DOE assistant secretary Leonido
Pulido said the US Department of State, under the US-Asia Enhancing Development
and Growth through Energy initiative, has provided a grant for the country’s
Gas Policy Development Project (GPDP).
The project, which commenced in
October last year, is being implemented by the University of the Philippines
Statistical Center Research Foundation Inc. (UPSCRFI).
The GPDP aims to provide technical
assistance to the DOE in implementing the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas
Regulation (PDNGR).
“We’re finalizing that structure
[for the review process]. They’re supposed to be part of a committee that would
help us evaluate all of these applications under the PDGNR,” Pulido said.
“But since that hasn’t been finalized,
it’s still the natural gas division of the OIMB (Oil Industry Management
Bureau) that is currently evaluating applications,” Pulido said.
The PDNGR details the rules and
regulations governing the downstream natural gas industry to develop a market
and gain energy security and sustainability.
Issued in December 2017, the policy
on the natural gas industry is aimed to meet the country’s goal of becoming the
liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading and trans-shipment hub in the Asia Pacific
region.
Currently, the OIMB-Natural Gas
Division is evaluating the application of Tanglawan Philippine LNG Inc. to
extend the Notice To Proceed (NTP) granted by the agency.
Tanglawan is the prospective
partnership among Phoenix, state-run Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) and
China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC).
Issued by the DOE in December last
year, the NTP has a six-month validity which ended last June 22.
“I don’t want to get ahead of
ourselves by making a declaration that we would be granting an extension of their
NTP. But it’s there, and it is currently being evaluated by OIMB,” Pulido said.
Tanglawan is planning to build a
regastification and receiving terminal with a capacity of 2.2 metric tons per
annum (mtpa), with commercial operations targeted to start by end-2023.
The facility will help support the
demand for a clean, competitive, and environment-friendly energy source in
Luzon, and provide energy security for the country.
It aims to develop a gas-fired power
generation facility with up to 2,000 megawatts (MW) installed capacity,
initially putting up a 1,100-MW gas-fired power plant to become the offtaker of
the LNG supply.
Meanwhile, the DOE directed US-based
Excelerate Energy L.P. to submit additional documents to its application to
build a floating storage and regassification unit (FSRU) offshore Batangas.
“They were asked to submit more
documentation to substantiate their proposal. What was asked from them is to
provide an after market,” Pulido said.
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