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AG&P (Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Co.), the Philippines-based company at the forefront of providing pragmatic, end-to-end LNG delivery solutions, has signed an exclusive agreement with Karaikal Port Pvt. Ltd (KPPL), to develop an LNG import terminal at the port, including LNG sourcing and supply.
“Karaikal Port is a centre of trading for South-East India and is crucial to the region’s GDP. With the addition of AG&P’s LNG import terminal, Karaikal Port will continue to be an engine of growth for the region’s future. Offering an all-weather operation with a breakwater ensuring 99 per cent availability, night navigation, limited dredging requirements, proximity to GAIL’s existing Cauvery Basin gas pipeline network and 24/7 access to port services, we are immensely proud of the port’s facilities that attracted AG&P to this prime site,” said Mr GRK Reddy, Chairman and Promoter Director of KPPL.
The development of AG&P’s LNG import terminal at Karaikal Port shall complement Indian Oil’s under-construction LNG terminal at Ennore 300 km to the north and will provide wider gas accessibility to Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. It will serve the heavily industrialised region of central Tamil Nadu which has major manufacturing clusters for the fertiliser, cement, steel, textile, leather, sugar and garment industries located within its 300 km catchment area. In addition, it will serve the gas-fired power industry as well as multiple demand centres via pipeline and/or city gas distribution network, said a release.
“AG&P will bring clean fuel to customers who do not have access today. AG&P is honoured to be working with KPPL to deliver this major infrastructure project to South India,” said Mr Augusto P. Gan, President, AG&P.
“AG&P’s innovative approach will establish Karaikal as a major gateway for distributing LNG, CNG and gas quickly and efficiently to customers throughout the region. Leveraging its standardised designs and modular approach to building terminals developed in AG&P’s Houston, Texas Engineering Center, AG&P not only eliminates expensive, bespoke engineering costs, but significantly reduces construction time. This means the terminal will be up and running by mid-2019,” said Mr Karthik Sathyamoorthy, President, LNG Marketing, AG&P.
The Karaikal Port is a deep-water facility located on the east coast of India. Since commencing operations in 2009, it has handled over 46 million tonnes of multi-cargo and received over 1,400 commercial vessels. As part of the port’s expansion beyond commercial cargo, it allocated an area within existing breakwater to develop an LNG terminal to serve the power, industrial and other customers in the region. The Port received Environmental Approval (EA) for this LNG terminal development in May 2017, the release informed.
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