PLN expects to receive gas from Arun receiving terminal in 2013
Wednesday, October 19 2011 - 08:07 AM WIB
He said the gas from the Arun LNG terminal is needed to meet the gas demand of PLN?s power plants in Medan of about 230 billion British thermal unit per day (BBTUD) and Aceh 30 BBTUD.
As reported earlier, state oil and gas company PT Pertamina plans to modify the LNG plant in Arun into an LNG receiving terminal, when production was totally stopped within the next two years.
Suryadi said PLN prefers to purchase gas from Arun, instead of Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) Belawan, North Sumatera, on grounds that there is already existing facilities in Arun. Therefore, PLN expects gas price would be lowered compared to gas from FSRU Belawan.
He said PLN expects Pertamina to build a 200-kilometers pipeline from the planned Arun LNG receiving terminal to Medan, which would be completed at end 2012.
He said gas supply for the planned Arun LNG terminal would be taken from Tangguh LNG project -- train 3 and train 4 -- in Papua, at an expected volume of 1.5 mtpa to 3 mtpa.
?Hopefully, gas supply from Tangguh can be realized in early 2013 with 20 years of contract,? he said.
PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk (PGN) said recently that it plans to move ahead to develop the FSRU Belawan. It expects to award EPC contract in November, the latest. Hoegh LNG of Norway has been selected as preferred bidder for the project.
However, Suryadi of PLN said he heard that PGN might move the FSRU project from Belawan to Lampung for unknown reasons. However, PGN has yet to make any statement of the speculation. (Bernard)