NATURAL gas consumption declined year on year in the five months to May, according to the Department of Energy’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DoE-ERDB).
Gas consumption by power generation and industrial sectors was at 46,493.26 million standard cubic feet (mmscf), 9,500 mmscf lower year on year.
Natural gas output was 60,585.35 mmscf, down 7,807.23 mmscf from a year earlier.
Natural gas was the second-largest energy source for generators, next to coal. Between March and May, natural gas generated an average 2,390 hourly megawatts with a utilization level of 72.6%.
The Philippines’ sole indigenous gas producer, the Malampaya field, which accounts for 20% of the country’s electricity, is expected to be nearly depleted by 2027.
The Philippines plans to import liquified natural gas (LNG) as a substitute for the diminishing output of Malampaya.
The government has approved some proposals from domestic and foreign firms to put up LNG import facilities, including First Gen Corp.’s floating storage and regasification project in Batangas, which the DoE designated as an energy project of national importance.
The energy firm is still awaiting the DoE’s approval for its PCERM application (permit to construct, expand, rehabilitate, and modify) before starting construction. — Adam J. Ang
