Fire razes T&T’s Natural Gas industrial zone

Nov 10, 2021 News

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Kaieteur News – An inferno that erupted inside the eTecK Park in Point Lisas, yesterday evening—after a chemical factory went up in flames in the Natural Gas Industrial Zone—in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), underscores the risks faced by Guyana in the future, in utilizing such flammable fuels and the dangers of a fire in a petrochemical dominated industrial zone, such as the proposed Wales Industrial Development Zone (WDZ).

According to reports out of neighbouring T&T, scores of firefighters from Southern Divisional Headquarters, Central Division, Tunapuna, Wrightson Road, Princes Town and Siparia risked their lives for hours on end, to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other establishments near Pacific Avenue, Point Lisas.
The Point Lisas Industrial Estate comprises 103 companies involved in the production of petrochemicals such as methanol, ammonia and urea—akin to the proposed development in Guyana at Wales to be powered and supplied using natural gas to be had from the Stabroek Block.
Reports emanating out of T&T said that for over three hours, the firefighters also battled to stop the blaze spreading to nine containers filled with flammable chemicals on the eastern and southern sides of the eTecK Park. Initially, the fire was believed to have originated from a Mastermix warehouse, but later it was said to be a building adjacent to Mastermix housing Gemini Inks, a printing supplies company.
Chairman of the Confederation of Regional Business Chambers, Jai Leladharsingh, in expressing concern over the conflagration, told the T&T media “Right now, the fire is near industries that use natural gas, which is a very flammable substance. It is very worrisome and we want to praise the firefighters who are putting themselves out there to combat this fire.”
At the time he noted that the authorities must ensure a specialised fire station is set up at Point Lisas to deal with fires.
“We have been calling for this specialised fire station to be constructed close to these industries, so that there could be the first response to such disasters and that fires could be extinguished and contained in the shortest possible time.”
The Government of Guyana is currently actively pursuing private investors for joint participation in gas related projects to accompany a natural gas-fired power plant to primarily power an industrial park at the WDZ, in addition to supplying power to the national grid.
The industrial zone, according to the administration plans, envisions ventures similar to T&T, such as the production of urea/fertiliser and other associate products.
A 2018 summary of the findings that were presented to the then Cabinet by ExxonMobil had found that “analysis has highlighted that while economics are challenged, requiring incentives, methanol and urea (fertiliser) producing large-scale industrial facilities appear to be the more likely viable foundation industries for investors.”
The company was at the time speaking, to the development of a similar industrial park in Guyana to that currently smoldering in T&T, with the administration since confirming the Wales location as its ideal site.
The Ministry of Natural Resources had earlier this year invited private investors to provide an Expression of Interest (EoI) to partake in Joint participation in the proposed gas-to-shore project with the Government and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana.
According to the advertised EoI, the Government and EEPGL are looking for partners “in designing or utilising the outputs from an NGL (Natural Gas Liquids)/LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) facility and related facilities.”
This includes, according to the Ministry, design, construction, and financing of a power plant fuelled by natural gas, where the power will be delivered into the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) distribution grid.
This is in addition to industries that can utilise natural gas for, “natural gas driven developments and growth.”
According to that invitation, the decision on Wales was taken after extensive evaluation of multiple sites with ExxonMobil Guyana Limited.
The WDZ encompasses over 14,000 plus acres of land of which approximately 1,300 acres will be set aside for heavy Industry/gas-related investments. The project, according to stakeholders, is expected to see some 27 kilometres of pipeline being laid out and buried from the Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) location to Wales, in addition to some 200 plus kilometres of pipeline from the Stabroek Block where the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel (FPSO) is located.
According to the administration, WDZ will be the location for the termination of the gas-pipeline measuring over 225 km from the Liza Area.
Additionally, it will involve the establishment of a gas-processing plant (GPP) and a Natural Gas Liquids facility (NGL) capable of producing at least 4,000 bbl./day, including the fractionation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
With regards to the use of additional gases, the invitation detailed that responses dealing with NGLs should provide details of expectations on markets (local and regional), expected input prices, expected sale prices, level of investment on required infrastructure, proposed changes to the current configuration of the existing market, and ability to work with local partners and Government.

 

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