Page 12 - GLNG Week 17 2021

GLNG ASIA GLNG

Philippines approves LNG-to-power project

PROJECTS & THE government of the Philippines has First Gen subsequently said that the reports
COMPANIES approved Vires Energy’s proposed LNG-to- linking the BW Paris to Vires cannot be correct.
power project. The Philippine Department And Vires confirmed that it was exploring other
of Energy (DoE) issued a “notice to proceed” options after initial talks with the BW Paris’
(NTP) on April 22, which it said is the first step owner, BW Gas, did not lead to any agreement.
for a company seeking to build an LNG terminal “The proposed integrated natural gas-fired
or other downstream gas project. power plant and LNG storage and regasification
Local media reported Vires will now need to acquire various other terminal project of Vires Energy Corporation
that Vires would use the regulatory approvals from central and local gov- will boost the attainment of our vision to develop
BW Paris FSRU, but ernment agencies, and will have to submit proof the Philippines as an LNG hub in the Southeast
that vessel has already of financial closing to the DoE within six months. Asian region,” stated DoE secretary Alfonso
been hired by First The proposed project includes a floating Cusi.
Gen for its own LNG storage and regasification unit (FSRU) with a The government has now approved at least
import project in the capacity of up to 3mn tonnes per year (tpy) off six regasification projects for Luzon, the Phil-
Philippines. the coast of Batangas Bay. The regasification ippines’ most populous island. However, the
facility will be integrated with a 500-MW gas- country needs to move quickly to develop new
fired power plant. LNG import capacity as domestic resources are
Vires is targeting start-up of its project by increasingly depleted, and has been accused of
January 2023. Local media have reported that lacking a coherent strategy for the role of the
the company will use the BW Paris FSRU for the super-chilled fuel in its energy mix.
scheme, but that vessel has already been hired by Vires is a gas-focused company that was
First Gen for its own LNG import project in the acquired by Philippines-based A Brown Co. in
country, which is one of the Philippines’ most 2020, having previously been owned by Singa-
advanced and also set to be located at Batangas. pore’s Argo Group.™

EUROPE

PSA releases findings from

Hammerfest fire probe

PROJECTS & DEAD insects within five-year-old air-intake fil- These tests indicate that a biomass build-up,
COMPANIES ters and heat from anti-icing panels are believed composed primarily of insects, in the pre-filters
to have caused a serious fire that broke out last may have lowered their auto-ignition tempera-
September at the Hammerfest LNG plant, tures. The control valve for hot-oil supply to the
Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) air intake’s anti-icing panels had been opened
has concluded after an investigation. Further- manually to get rid of excess heat in the hot-oil
more, Equinor has confirmed that the plant’s circuit. This caused the temperature in the filter
restart will be six months later than previously housing to rise sufficiently to auto-ignite the
anticipated. pre-filters.
The industry regulator published a report The fire caused material damage to the GTG4
on its investigation into the incident on April air-intake and filter housing and consequential
22. It determined that there were serious damage from extinguishing work to electrical,
breaches of regulations at the Equinor-oper- instrumentation and mechanical equipment,
ated facility. according to the PSA.
The company had, as a cost-cutting measure, While no one was injured in the fire, it was
changed its maintenance schedule for air filters also fortunate that there were vessels in the vicin-
from annual replacements to inspection-based ity to extinguish the blaze before it spread any
maintenance. These filters had not been replaced further. The PSA has ordered Equinor to devise
in six years and contained dead insects, which a plan to correct non-conformities by June this
might have lowered the temperature necessary year. Specifically, it has asked the company to
for the filters to self-ignite, the PSA said. make changes to manning, maintenance, man-
“Technical fire tests and simulation of tem- agement and control.
perature development in the turbine’s filter hous- Hammerfest LNG is Norway’s only LNG ter-
ing support the likelihood that the fire broke out minal and produces around 5.6bn cubic metres
because pre-filters in the air intake auto-ignited,” per year of super-cooled gas at full capacity, using
the PSA said. the offshore Snohvit field as its resource base.™

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 17 30•April•2021