Macau, China, 6 June – Companhia de Gestão de Participações e Energia Sinosky Tuesday announced in Macau that the first stage of the project to supply natural gas to the Coloane power plant will go into operation in October.

Sinosky’s chairman, Xie Dan, said that the first phase of the project would cost 200 million patacas.

Sinosky is a consortium made up of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation and Companhia de Gas Natural de Macau, Limitada (Sinopec/Gás Natural de Macau) in January signed a 15 year contract with the Macau government for importing and transport of natural gas to Macau.

The project includes the construction of a station, in the landfill areas between the islands of Coloane and Taipa,, which will receive natural gas at Hengqin island in the special economic area of Zhuhai, and transport it to the power plant of Companhia de Electricidade de Macau (CEM) via a 6.5 kilometer gas pipeline.

The design and planning of the natural gas pipeline supply system for Macau was handed over to Shanghai Gas Engineering Design.

The second phase of the project, which will cost 8 billion patacas and is due to be concluded in 2009, consists of importing Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) via a terminal that is to be built on Huang Mao island, near the Zhuhai maritime area.

When the construction of all infrastructures is complete, the company will supply Macau with 200 million cubic meters of natural gas.

Officials at CEM have said, meanwhile, that the Macau company currently has two turbines that can be adapted to the natural gas system.

The sue of LNG in Macau will make it possible, according to the government, to reduce pollution and costs of fuel.

CEM currently uses diesel generators to produce electricity for Macau. (macauhub)