As part of its 14th anniversary, Perú LNG, a company that operates the first liquefied natural gas processing plant in South America, inaugurated its second loading station in Pampa Melchorita (Cañete). This new facility, designed to meet growing national demand, has the capacity to supply 18 trucks daily and 126 weekly.
The incorporation of this infrastructure, complementary to the existing processing plant, allows the company's supply capacity to double and reach a total of 36 trucks per day, which is equivalent to approximately 18 million cubic feet/day per loading point, explained Jaime Risco, general manager of Perú LNG, during the inauguration ceremony.
“We have the firm conviction that [gas] must continue as the main source of energy,” he assured.
Natural gas, continued Risco, which for almost 20 years has been produced in the Camisea fields—one of the largest gas fields in the region—has enormous potential to mitigate different forms of poverty, generate well-being, and boost economic growth, social inclusion and environmental care. In addition, the new infrastructure benefits more than 250,000 residential and commercial users in the north (Lambayeque, La Libertad, Áncash, Cajamarca, Ucayali and San Martín) and south (Arequipa, Moquegua, Tacna and Cusco) of Peru.
“Consumption at the national level has represented savings for the country of more than US$ 110 billion to date,” he noted.
The Peru LNG executive stressed the importance of promoting both the consumption and exploration of liquefied natural gas, highlighting its key and critical role in the energy transition. Likewise, he highlighted its contribution in generating income for the development of health and infrastructure in the country.
ENERGY TRANSITION AND THE “7 REGIONS” PROJECT
The path towards the energy transition is specific to each country. However, Jaime Risco argued that, in the context of the energy trilemma (sustainability, security and affordability), liquefied natural gas meets the necessary standards, thus playing a crucial role in the search for energy balance.
“In electricity generation we have made great progress. Today we have the cleanest matrix in South America using natural gas and hydroelectric energy,” says Martin Mejía del Carpio, general director of Cálidda. “The new terminal helps transform the transportation sector, which produces 15% of CO2 emissions in the country,” he assured AméricaEconomía .
The company, which is dedicated to the distribution of natural gas in Lima and Callao, has 1,800,000 residential connections and 17,000 kilometers built, only 3,000 kilometers short in the high socioeconomic districts to complete the entire city.
“A truck that consumes natural gas instead of diesel and travels 8,000 kilometers a month could save US$21,000 a year,” he added.
In addition, liquefied natural gas is the best option to carry out the “7 regions” project (Apurímac, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Junín, Cusco, Puno and Ucayali) proposed by the Government in 2021 and which has not yet been completed because it is onerous due to the missing gas pipelines to those provinces.
“A single truck transporting LNG can carry the same amount of gas as four CNG (compressed natural gas) trucks,” he stated.
Upon reaching its destination province, it is re-gasified and distributed to homes, service stations (taps) and businesses. Therefore, it is more efficient in terms of volume and cost, concluded Mejía del Carpio.
LNG SHIRT RUNNER
Among the latest developments, the Camisea LNG Corridor project is coming to life in southern Peru. This initiative, led by the Camisea and EVA Consortium –a company formed by the Peruvian Lima Gas and the Spanish HAM Criogenic– will allow transporters to supply themselves along the Panamericana Sur and provide services to Tacna, offering a range of 1,000 kilometers thanks to the use of this fuel, which is between 40% and 50% cheaper than diesel, in addition to being cleaner and more environmentally friendly.
The recent inauguration of the first station in Mala, and two more on the way in Nazca and Arequipa, mark the beginning of a significant change in the freight transportation landscape in the region.
