Canatxx LNG Should Watch Milford Haven Experience
by Helen Williams
(Pembrokeshire)
With Canatxx LNG Limited looking to build an LNG regasification plant at Amlwch Port on Anglesey, they should look at the Milford Haven experience to see the potential pitfalls.
Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, South Wales will soon receive the first LNG shipments at specially constructed plants, and which will then be distributed into the UK national gas network.
LNG (or liquified natural gas) is a means of transporting natural gas over long distances by compressing the gas to around 1/600th of the original volume, at very low temperatures.
There has been significant investment in the port infrastructure at Milford Haven as well as in a cross country distribution pipeline connecting to the main grid.
The UK has now become a net importer of gas and it is vital that it secures new sources of LNG from diversified sources so as to boost energy security by reducing the risk arising from geopolitical volatility and to help fill the energy gap.
Two companies carrying out the development work at the port of Milford Haven are South Hook LNG and Dragon LNG, and their work has proved very controversial with certain local groups opposing the whole project.
The main grounds of their opposition are risks to health and safety of local inhabitants from shipping incidents in the sea lanes as well as LNG leakages on the delivery platforms.
The head of civil contingencies at Pembrokeshire Council, Richard Brown, wants local people to have an opportunity to discuss arrangements for emergency response planning.
Meanwhile, local campaign group Safe Haven believe the local council has not adequately considered the potential consequences of a major LNG spillage at the jetty or at the harbour approach.
And to put the whole operation into proper perspective, over 50 local firefighters have gone to Texas in the US to receive specialist training in coping with LNG incidents.
To make sure the lights don’t go out and people across Britain keep warm, let’s hope the LNG shipments to Milford Haven’s South Hook jetty go smoothly and the firefighters have a very quiet time indeed.
