FGEN LNG Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lopez-led First Gen Corp., said it has received a permit from the Energy department to operate and maintain its interim offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Batangas.
The permit allows the operation of the project for its own use and is valid for 25 years, First Gen said in a statement on Monday.
The project, in partnership with Tokyo Gas of Japan, consists of a multi-purpose jetty and an onshore gas receiving facility representing the initial phase of the FGEN LNG Terminal that was certified by the Department of Energy (DoE) as an “energy project of national significance” under Executive Order No. 30.
“We are thankful to Secretary Raphael P. M. Lotilla and the Downstream Natural Gas Review and Evaluation Committee for the support and guidance provided throughout this process, and for issuing the POM,” First Gen President and Chief Operating Officer Francis Giles B. Puno said.
“Last year, the Project has enabled the introduction of LNG to supplement Malampaya to ensure energy security, especially during the past summer,” he added.
In 2023, FGEN LNG completed the LNG terminal facility situated at the First Gen Clean Energy Complex and executed a five-year time charter party for its floating storage and regasification vessel, the BW Batangas.
First Gen utilizes LNG for its existing gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2,017 megawatts, which have been supplied for many years with gas from the Malampaya field.
“In line with the thrust of the DoE’s Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050, the Project will support the introduction of more natural gas plant generation that will serve as the bridge fuel and offer flexible power generation to support the introduction of more intermittent RE (renewable energy) in the country,” the company said.
At present, First Gen has a total of 3,668 megawatts of combined capacity coming from its portfolio of plants that run on geothermal, wind, hydro, solar energy, and natural gas. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
