Senoko to boost RI gas imports

Senoko to boost RI gas imports

SINGAPORE: Senoko Power Ltd., the biggest power producer in
Singapore, said it will boost its natural gas consumption more
than half in August when it imports the fuel via pipeline from
Indonesia to fire its power plants.

The utility will import 85 million standard cubic feet of
gas a day from Indonesia's Sumatra island, boosting its daily
consumption by 57 percent from 150 million standard cubic feet.
Senoko currently buys all its gas from Malaysia, said Lim Ju Tong,
vice-president of the production division at Senoko.

The power producer, which generates 30 percent of the
electricity in Singapore, is using more gas to fire its power
plants to reduce its costs. Natural gas accounts for 60 percent of
Senoko's generation capacity of 2,670 megawatts. The rest is
powered by fuel oil.

Senoko will increase its gas purchases from Indonesia to as
much as 235 million standard cubic feet a day in 2008, when
Senoko's contract to purchase gas from Malaysia will expire, Lim
said. He declined to say when negotiations for a new contract will
begin.

Senoko is owned by Temasek Holdings Pte., a Singapore-
government investment arm. -- Bloomberg