KARACHI, Jan 6: Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) has said that in view of rising gas demand the plan to launch more than one LNG project has become indispensable.

Senior project manager, LNG, Naim Sharafat briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources on Tuesday on “Pakistan Mashal LNG Project (PMLP)” and said that Pakistan’s total demand projections for gas in the 25-year energy plan indicate more than a three-fold increase.

In this scenario, he added that indigenous gas supply is not expected to meet rising demand, and in fact is poised to decline, particularly after 2010. On this premise alone, there is a need to launch more than one LNG project.

He explained that the designed capacity of PMLP is 3.5 millions ton per annum (mtpa) while LNG-II will bring in another 3.5 mtpa in 2012-13 to the system.

Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee Syed Dilawar Abbas and other senators were provided details about the project, besides key issues and bottlenecks that had affected the selection of the project developer. To date, two developers have been short listed namely 4Gas Consortium and Shell Gas & Power, the senators were told. Currently Qatar was the only long-term supply source for PMLP in 2010/11, says a press release of the SSGCL.

Later Syed Dilawar talking to reporters emphasised upon the government to immediately develop thermal power generation through coal.