The Southeast Asian country will need to import liquefied natural gas to feed existing power plants with a combined capacity of about 3,200 megawatts as the Malampaya gas field in western Philippine waters is expected to run dry.

While Malampaya supply may last up to 2027, current reserves are not enough for the planned expansion of LNG usage into industrial, commercial, residential and transport sectors.

Below are the projects proposed capacities, investment costs, timetable and status.

Batangas Clean Energy LNG Import Terminal

Companies: Batangas Clean Energy Inc, a consortium led by Filipino-Chinese billionaire Lucio Tan

Type: onshore terminal with 1,100-MW power plant

Capacity: 3 million tonnes per year

Investment cost: 37.6 billion pesos

Location: Batangas City

Start of operation: 2025

Status: DOE's Notice To Proceed issued early this year

Excelerate Floating LNG Import Terminal

Company: Texas-based Excelerate Energy LP

Type: Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU)

Capacity: 1.5 million tpy

Investment cost: 6.4 billion pesos

Location: Batangas Bay

Start of operation: 2021

Status: DOE's To Proceed issued in September 2019

FGEN Batangas LNG Import Terminal

Company: First Gen Corp

Type: FSRU

Capacity: 5 million tpy

Investment cost: 13.3 billion pesos

Location: near First Gen's energy complex in Batangas

Start of operation: 2022

Status: Three preferred bidders named for FSRU chartering

Pagbilao LNG Hub Terminal

Company: Energy World Corp Ltd

Type: onshore terminal with 650 MW power plant

Capacity: 3 million tpy

Investment cost: 7.4 billion pesos

Location: Pagbilao, Quezon Province

Start of operation: 2022

Status: land acquisition for right of way requirements ongoing

(Graphic: LNG Import Terminal Projects in the Philippines - )

(Graphic: Philippines' natural gas supply and demand - )

By Enrico Dela Cruz