DOE Conducts Safety Inspection of LPG Plants

E-SAFETY MO CAMPAIGN HITS THE LPG INDUSTRY: Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III and LPG industry participants conduct a site visit to LPG Refilling and Cylinder Manufacturing plants.

The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Industry Association Inc. (LPGIA), conducted LPG plant visits to address the quality and safety of LPG tanks sold to end-users.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi strongly reminded the LPG industry participants that substandard and defective LPG tanks have caused fires and explosions.

“The safety of everyone should never be compromised. Government and the private sector should work together and give a higher premium to public safety to protect every user of LPG,” Cusi stated.

Last Nov. 24, the DOE, through its Oil Industry Management Bureau (OIMB), and the LPGIA team checked the operations of the PR Gaz Plant in Pasig City and the Ferrotech Steel Company in Valenzuela City.

During the visit, DOE Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido III said that Sec. Cusi recently approved the LPG Code of Safety for Refilling Plants to ensure that safety practices are adhered to by LPG industry participants.

PR Gaz featured its safety practices as it led the tour of its LPG Refilling Plant. PR Gaz presented that it delivers an average 26,000 kilograms of LPG daily to its storage facility that houses about 1.1 million kilograms of LPG. To ensure safety, PR Gaz conducts quality inspections daily.

Ferrotech, for its LPG Cylinder Manufacturing Plant, presented its manufacturing operations. It stated that it can produce 1250 regular cylinders, 480 small cylinders and 120 big cylinders in a single production shift. Ferrotech said that LPG cylinders must undergo a requalification process, 10 years after its manufacturing date and 5 years thereafter, to ensure that said cylinders are still safe to use.

Members and staff of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Committee on Trade and Industry were also present during the LPG Plant visit.

As a way forward, the DOE is lobbying for the passage of the LPG Bill. “We’re hoping for the passage of the bill. We need to institutionalize the LPG Code of Safety and raise more awareness. We believe that the LPG Bill will address a significant portion of the problem.” Pulido pointed out.

The plant visits are in line with the DOE’s E-Safety Mo campaign which seeks to ensure safe energy practices among all energy users. E-Safety Mo aims to expand the knowledge of consumers and stakeholders for wiser energy utilization.