Asia/Pacific News
Singapore Starts Commercial LNG Operations
Singapore has started operations of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility with its first commercial LNG delivery, the Wall Street Journal reports.
BG Group Plc. (BG) delivered the LNG to state-run Singapore LNG Corp. Pte. Ltd. (SLNG)'s Jurong Island facility, which was built with the goal of making Singapore into a hub for LNG supply in Asia.
Singapore, which now receives gas via pipelines from Indonesia and Malaysia, will be able to access competitively priced gas globally through the import facility, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Energy Market Authority and SLNG said in a joint statement.
"It will also contribute to the development of Singapore as a regional gas hub, catalyze LNG-related business opportunities and create new job opportunities for Singaporeans," said S. Iswaran, minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
The terminal will be able to import 3.5 million tonnes per year immediately, and its capacity will expand to six million tonnes per year by the end of 2013 and nine million tonnes per year further in the future.
Singapore, which uses gas to generate about 80 percent of its electricity, has a 10-year supply agreement with BG.
The country plans to start supplying LNG bunkers in 2015.
