‘Third LNG terminal project to comply with environmental requirements’

KARACHI: The third LNG terminal in the country will be built at Port Qasim in 100 percent compliance with all the concerned federal and provincial regulatory agencies, especially those which deal with environmental protection, officials informed the audience of a public hearing at a hotel on Thursday.

The public hearing was held on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report of the Integrated LNG Terminal Project at Chhan Wddo/Chaara Creek, Port Qasim, to be developed by Tabeer Energy Private Ltd.

Saquib Ejaz Hussain, the team leader of the environmental consultant, informed the audience that construction of the Tabeer LNG terminal would also comply with the proposed Sindh Climate Change Policy, which was yet to be properly notified as only draft of the policy had been shared with the concerned stakeholders for consultation.

He said that carbon dioxide emissions from the LNG terminal project would be around 9.4632 tons, whereas the draft provincial Climate Change Policy allowed such emissions up to the level of 100,000 tons.

“Mangrove plants would be fallen on approximately nine hectares area due to development of the LNG project, whereas the proponents of the project had given the firm commitment to plant mangroves on 1,000 hectares areas near the project’s site,” Hussain informed.

He said the site of the project had been chosen in such a manner that upcoming LNG terminal would not cause any sort of hindrance in the smooth operations of Port Qasim, including regular movement of the merchant ships through regular port channels.

The environmental team leader said nearby human settlement was situated at a safe distance of approximately 10 kilometres from the site of the project.

Riaz Wagan, chief conservator of Sindh Forest Department, said NOC of the forest department was fully dependent upon due fulfilment of the condition of mangrove afforestation on 1,000 hectares by the proponent of the LNG terminal.

He said the developer had also given 10-year firm commitment to take care of these mangroves for proper nurturing and growth.

Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) Director General Naeem Ahmed Mughal, who chaired the proceedings of the public hearing, said SEPA would continue monitoring the project at different stages of its execution and operation so to prevent any harmful effect on the environment.

He said teams of SEPA would be mobilised to the site of the project to check and verify that construction and execution of the project would not cause any harm to the surrounding environment.

He directed the Port Qasim Authority to provide to SEPA at the earliest the report of study of the accumulative environmental impacts of all the industrial and energy projects being established in its jurisdiction.

He said the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) should also share with SEPA a copy of the master plan of the Port Qasim area, so as to determine the extent and scope of industrial and port-related development to be carried by the authority in future.

He said the PQA should also issue stern warning to all the industrial units operating in its jurisdiction to stop discharge of waste water into sea. Otherwise action should be taken to shutdown the industries causing marine pollution, he said.

The PQA should also ensure installation of a combined effluent treatment plant for industries in the area, the SEPA DG urged.

The audience were informed that the proposed third LNG terminal project of 750 MMCFD gas handling and processing facility would be first of its kind to obtain a no-objection certificate from the Sindh Forest Department once it fulfilled all commitments regarding mangrove afforestation near the project’s site.

It was also informed on the occasion that the Tabeer LNG terminal would also become the first project in the province, which would work with Sindh Fisheries Department for rehabilitation and restoration of livelihood facilities of the fishermen communities living in the surroundings of the project.

All these socio-economic support and rehabilitation activities for poor fishermen would be carried out by the proponents of the project as part of its commitments related to the cause of corporate social responsibility. The fishermen of Rehri Goth would be among the beneficiaries of the CSR-related work of the project.

The public hearing was informed that the terminal would use the mechanism of Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit (FRSU) for a ship-to-ship transfer of LNG. “At present there were around 30 FRSU-based LNG terminals around the world.”