Scientists: Pridnestrovie needs to develop liquefied gas infrastructure

12/22/16 13:36

Scientists: Pridnestrovie needs to develop liquefied gas infrastructure

This should enhance the country's energy security and stimulate the development of related sectors of the economy

Tiraspol, 22 December. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Pridnestrovie should change the structure of energy consumption, increasing the use liquefied natural gas (LNG). This is the subject of a report, Some Preconditions for Enhancing the Energy Security of Pridnestrovie, presented today in Shevchenko Pridnestrovian State University during a round table talk on the country's energy security.

One of the co-authors of the report, Associate Professor of the Engineering Institute of PSU Vitaly Zvonky underscored during his speech that today Pridnestrovie is too dependent on supplies of Russian natural gas and in case of their termination for any reason the country's vital activities may be jeopardised.

According to the scientist, in order to minimise the consequences of any recurrence of such situations in the future, Pridnestrovie requires its own energy reserves. And the structure of these reserves should be changed by increasing the share of liquefied natural gas as compared to such traditional long stored fuels as black oil or coal.

The report notes, at the same time, that one should not limit itself to stockpiling liquefied gas only. It is necessary both to develop the infrastructure allowing for the use of this fuel and to construct stations to process conventional natural gas into liquefied.

According to Zvonky, the latter process should be carried out in two stages. At the first stage, an LNG station should be built at the premises of one of the biggest enterprise to gain primary experience in working with this type of fuel. This experience should be used when constructing new stations.

The authors of the report believe that the transition of small and medium-sized enterprises to LNG will be quite profitable. First, it will help to unload the gas transportation infrastructure, which should reduce the accident rate on transmission and distribution pipelines.

Second, the development of production and consumption of LNG should contribute to economic growth in related sectors, provide jobs to people specialising in the production, supply and installation of appropriate equipment.

For example, one of the most promising areas, according to Zvonky and his co-author, director of the Engineering Institute Felix Burmenko, is to increase the proportion of LNG in the structure of motor fuel sold in the PMR, which will require both the reconstruction of the significant number of petrol stations and the construction of new enterprises to convert cars into natural gas.

It should be noted that this summer Ukraine put a ban on supplies of combustive-lubricating materials to Pridnestrovie by rail, which barely triggered a fuel crisis. Increased use of LNG could also minimise the negative effects of the recurrence of such situations.

 

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