SembCorp trying cogen plant

SembCorp trying cogen plant

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): SembCorp Utilities' 815-megawatt cogeneration plant in Singapore is being commissioned, with full operations slated for the third quarter 2001, Kelvin Lee, spokesman for parent SembCorp Industries, said.

The plant runs on natural gas piped to Jurong Island from Indonesia's West Natuna Sea. SembCorp Utilities, through SembCorp Gas Pte. Ltd., also sells West Natuna gas to customers on the island and in nearby Jurong.

SembGas has nearly 50 customers for its gas, up from the 25 it announced in January this year, industry sources said at a conference this week.

"We have 25 confirmed gas customers and we are still holding discussions with the others. However as of now, our entire imported volume has been fully taken up," Lee said.

SembGas contracted to offtake 130 million standard cubic feet of gas from West Natuna by July, with full volume of 325 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) to flow by the first quarter 2002.

Offtaker Tuas Power Ltd. is slated to commission its 735-MW combined cycle plant in the second-half of this year.