President Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani Emir of the State of Qatar
Colombo, 22 September
President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his meeting with Head of State of Qatar Kalifa Altani, has discussed the possibility of commencing a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power project in Sri Lanka, in a bid to make the island nation an energy hub.
The head of state of Qatar has agreed to extend his fullest support to commence an LNG project of Qatar in Sri Lanka a press statement issued today (September 21) reported.
“The government of the state of Qatar has expressed fullest support to the development programme carried out by the President Mahinda Rajapakse following dawn of peace in the country,” said the statement.
“Emir of Qatar Kalifa Altani expressed his appreciation to President Rajapakse, who is currently in New York city to attend the 65th general session of the United Nations. The meeting between the two head of states took place at dawn today (September 21). The Emir extended his congratulations to the President for ending long standing terrorism in Sir Lanka and added that the President has set an example to the entire world. The head of state of Qatar has agreed to extend fullest support to commence L.N.G. Gas project of Qatar in Sri Lanka,”
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani led the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources.
LNG is natural gas (predominantly methane – CH4) that has been converted into liquid form for ease of storage and transport, as it takes up only about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in its gaseous state. The most difficult and costliest operation in an LNG process is the liquidation process before storage or transportation and re-gasification at the end-point.
Qatar- the best country
Speaking to the Asian Tribune, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, M M C Ferdinando said that an Inter-ministerial Committee on Energy had been discussing the viability of LNG, and agreed that Qatar was the best country to partner when it came to LNG.
“I am not aware of this matter (President Rajapaksa’s meeting with Emir of Qatar). However there was a proposal that Sri Lanka must explore the viability of LNG and it was pointed out that Qatar was the best country when it came to LNG. Two months back a group (of officials) was entrusted to study its potential and report back. I assume that President Rajapaksa discussed this matter in that context,” Ferdinando said.
High-level Committee on LNG
Earlier Asian Tribune on September 4, 2010, reported exclusively that the Sri Lankan government in a bid to exploit eco-friendly fuels and to ensure energy security set up a high-level Committee on LNG.
“The committee is represented by officials of Treasury, Ministries of Power and Energy and Petroleum Resources and Petroleum Resources Development, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), and Westcoast Power (Pvt) Ltd, who were entrusted with the task of exploring possibilities of using LNG and report back,” a high-ranking Petroleum Resources and Petroleum Resources Development Ministry official told the Asian Tribune.
He added that the government had identified the potential of LNG and understood that it was very beneficial in the long term. The LNG Committee is to conduct a presentation on its findings to the government in the very near future.
LNG highly beneficial
However in another exclusive story that appeared on Asian Tribune on September 15, a local agent of a UAE-based investor consortium contemplating to start an LNG project in Sri Lanka, was quoted to have stated that LNG would “be highly beneficial to an emerging nation like Sri Lanka, which anticipates in becoming a mega global hub in energy”
“LNG is one of the cleanest, safest, and most useful of all energy sources. If you take United Kingdom they are using LNG in a major way both for domestic as well as industrial purposes. We have been studying about the scope in Sri Lanka for the last four to five years and were waiting for just the right time,” said the 25-year old Sri Lankan agent of the consortium, who had been right throughout educated in United Kingdom but has now returned to his motherland to serve her.
“We have already conducted the pre-feasibility study and the results are very positive. From hotels to homes, from garment factories to power plants, lot of businesses will benefit. When you use LNG you don’t have to convert it to electricity but use it directly… for example for cooking and air conditioning,” he said.
Qatar- World’s largest LNG producer
Meanwhile gulf news reports stated that Qatar is set to achieve a milestone of 77mn tonnes annual liquefied natural gas production capacity and take a vantage position in the global energy stage as the world’s largest LNG producer and transhipper.
"With the imminent completion of two super trains (7.8mn tonnes capacity each) at Qatargas, Qatar will have an installed LNG capacity of 77mn tonnes per year (tpy).
Qatar’s two LNG producers – Qatargas and RasGas – currently operate liquefied natural gas facilities with a combined production capacity in excess of 55mn tonnes per year (tpy). At the peak of production, some 14 LNG trains will be in operation; seven each at Qatargas and RasGas,"
"The liquefied natural gas sector has become a key driver of the national economy. According to QNB Capital, the oil and gas sector is expected to account for QR145.5bn of Qatar’s total GDP of QR291.1bn in 2010. Of this, the share of the gas sector is expected to be QR81.3bn compared with QR64.2bn from the oil sector."
- Asian Tribune -
No comments:
Post a Comment