The Malta Independent on Sunday
LNG tanker: liquid-to-gas transformation must be done outside of port
Gabriel Schembri Maritime law expert Ann Fenech cannot understand how a responsible government would allow Electrogas, the operators of the new Delimara power station, to berth a ship full of liquid natural gas without having a breakwater in place.
Speaking with this newspaper, Dr Fenech, who is also president of the PN executive council, said that – apart from the fact that Malta does not need this new power station – the ship should be stopped at a floating storage unit outside the port so that the shift from the fuel’s liquid state to gas state is done as far away as possible from Maltese shores.
She explains, “The gas, to be kept in a liquid state, must be transported at -161 Degrees Celsius. The piping must be able to keep this temperature while it is being transferred to the power station. The moment the temperature increases by just one degree, the liquid will turn into gas. But when liquid turns to gas, it multiplies by 600 in vol- ume. This is the real danger.”
Dr Fenech explained that the government should make sure that the liquid to gas transformation occurs outside the port, and then have the gas piped to shore.
“A similar thing was done in Toscana, near Livorno. It costs more money but one should not risk people’s health in order to save money.”
She also insisted that being without a breakwater, Marsaxlokk port is prone to dangerous winds.
“In March 2014, Greek expert Georgios Papadakis said that the area is safe by assuming that the site is ignition-free. We don’t need an expert to see that. But ignition can easily be caused by collision, and collisions happen when you have bad weather.”
The Freeport is very close and huge ships are going in and out all the time, she added.
She questioned if the LNG ship is covered by Protection and Indemnity insurance which deal with cargo and third-party liabilities.
Dr Fenech added, “The government never said who the insurers of this ship are. I hope it is not the government, as it had done with the bank guarantees for the construction of the power station.”