Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development and Ratch launched the first gas-fueled unit at their Hin Kong power plant following the arrival of the maiden LNG cargo at PTT’s second Map Ta Phut LNG terminal.
Hin Kong Power, a joint venture owned 51 percent by Ratch and 49 percent by Gulf Energy, received on February 28 its first LNG shipment at PTT’s Map Ta Phut Terminal 2 (LMPT 2), also known as the Nong Fab LNG terminal.
Last year, a unit of Geneva-based energy and LNG trader, Gunvor, signed a term LNG supply deal with the JV to supply it with about 0.5 million tons per year of LNG on a DES basis.
According to Gulf Energy and Ratch, the first LNG cargo under this deal of some 62,000 tons of LNG was delivered onboard the 2014-built 159,966-cbm, Maran Gas Delphi.
The LNG carrier brought the cargo to the second Map Ta Phut terminal from Adnoc LNG’s Das Island LNG export terminal in the UAE, its AIS data provided by VesselsValue shows.
With this shipment, Hin Kong Power became the first private company in Thailand to import an LNG cargo, according to the partners.
Second unit
Gulf Energy and Ratch used this shipment to commission the first unit at their combined-cycle Hin Kong power plant with an installed capacity of 770 MW.
The partners said that the first unit has officially started its commercial operation on March 1.
Also, the Hin Kong power plant will generate and sell 700 MW contractual electricity to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) following a 25-year power purchase agreement.
The Hin Kong power plant consists of two units with a total installed capacity of 1,540 MW.
Gulf Energy and Ratch said that the construction of the second unit is 96.5 percent complete, and testing and commissioning of the gas turbine will be performed this month.
The partner plans to start its commercial operation in January 2025.
Hin Kong Power to import 0.64 million tons of LNG this year
Back in 2020, Gulf Energy Development secured licences from the government of Thailand to import LNG as part of its plans to reduce power prices in the country.
Hin Kong Power won a license to import 1.4 mtpa of LNG to supply the Hin Kong power plant.
In 2024, Hin Kong Power plans to import about 0.64 million tons of LNG to fuel the Hin Kong power plant, the partners said.
Looking ahead, Gulf Energy plans to import about 7.8 mtpa of LNG to fuel its independent power producer (IPP) power plants, the Gulf Pluak Daeng and Gulf Sriracha, as well as to supply 19 small power producer’s (SPP) industrial customers, and PTT Natural Gas Distribution.
Gulf Energy said it plans to utilize LNG at its under-development LNG terminal located at Map Ta Phut industrial port.
Gulf Energy Development and PTT Tank Terminal, a unit of state-owned PTT, are developing an LNG import terminal in Map Ta Phut with a capacity of 10.8 mtpa.
Last year, Saipem and its partner CTCI completed PTT’s Nong Fab LNG import plant in Thailand, the country’s second such facility.
This 7.5 mtpa terminal adds to PTT’s first Map Ta Phut LNG terminal (LMPT 1) with a capacity of 11.5 mtpa.