LAUGFS Gas initiating big plans for Indian Ocean Rim
LAUGFS Gas PLC is moving towards building an integrated regional LPG Terminal for LPG importing, re-exporting and supply to retailers in the Indian Ocean Rim. The company will also expand its solar power plants this year, W.H.K Wegapitiya, Chairman, LAUGFS Gas PLC told the Business Times in an interview.
“We have a big market in front of our doorstep. We intend to exploit it.” The company is exporting gas to Bangladesh, India and the Maldives.
LAUGFS built a 30,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) LPG storage complex in Hambantota Port operational last year. This is located 3 km from the Hambantota jetty connected by a pipeline. It can receive and store refrigerated propane and butane separately or in mixed form, via very large gas carriers and pressurised vessels. The facility can turnaround thrice a day. As a result the facility can handle 90,000 MT for a month. The company currently operates three LNG carrying ships and expects to buy another.
LAUGFS Gas (Bangladesh) Ltd. having entered Bangladesh in 2001 is a major LPG distributor in Bangladesh, importing and distributing over 50,000 MT of LPG every year. The company has a terminal in Mongla, Bangladesh. LAUGFS Gas is using Hambantota to supply LPG down streaming in Bangladesh. The company will not expand on hydro, he said as weather patterns are erratic but will enter the wind energy sector while expanding on the solar energy.
The company is supplying LPG to Myanmar and is eyeing to supply to Kenya in East Africa.”Mombasa in Kenya is a gateway to other landlocked East African countries. We are exploring venturing to build a terminal in Mombasa as well. Initially we want to supply in bulk,” Mr. Wegapitiya noted. He said that overall the power and energy sector in the company did not have a major impact from the coronavirus . “In the lockdown areas we distributed gas. It was a similar situation in Bangladesh as well. Our operations were intact.”
LAUGFS has a 2 MW Hydro power plant at Ginigathhena, a 2 MW solar power plant at Ambilipitiya and a 10 MW plant at Hambantota. They have a 3MW Hydro plant. Mr. Wegapitiya said they will expand on solar energy and have already made inroads into building more plants.
LAUGFS Life Sciences, the company which is setting up the pharmaceutical factory to manufacture saline in Koggala will be operational within six months, Mr. Wegapitiya said. LAUGFS Pharmaceuticals, also in Koggala to manufacture pharmaceuticals is under construction.