LNG terminal explosions
Published:
January 26, 2013 at 3:39pm
Be sure to read the article in the link below. And while doing so, bear in mind that Labour’s mad proposal is to construct one of these things in an inhabited area, close to a power station.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/12/business/algerian-explosion-stirs-foes-of-us-gas-projects.html
As a Gozitan I might think that I am far away enough from Muscat’s LNG tanks in Marsasxlokk, but I am never far away enough from Muscat’s PL.
That was TEN YEARS ago. Didn’t Labour’s dream team know about it?
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~auranet/dampier/web/LNG.html
In earthquake-prone Japan, they construct nuclear reactors to generate electricity.
Not that a tsunami cannot cause problems, but you know, its not like anything in life is risk free. Even reading this blog is a health hazardous.
Heqq, m’hemmx x’taghmel hux?
Do you have any brain cells to rub together?
I can’t believe you are using Japan’s penchant for nuclear energy as an example of how to do things.
Do you have any idea how much damage and loss nuclear energy has created in Japan?
Do you know how much of a hot political issue nuclear energy is in Japan (the Prime Minister who was in office during the most recent disasters has since lost office)?
Do you know that all nuclear energy plants were closed down after the most recent disaster and most of them remain closed?
Do you know that because of the disasters in Japan, other countries, like for example Germany, lost their appetite for nuclear energy?
You couldn’t have found a worse example if you tried.
The major risk to life in Malta would be the election of your idiotic party.
You see, mandango70, you’re a prime example of why the Nationalists failed. Free education, stipends and all… it’s all lost on you.
You know what cost Cyprus it’s economic well-being? Yes, one single explosion at an arms depot.
Labour’s mad proposal intends to build a power station, an LNG terminal and two massive gas storage tanks in one cluster adjacent to another power station, the existing fuel tanks at Benghajsa, the OilTanking facility and Hurd’s Bank just off the coast.
One mistake and the whole of Malta would be blown to smithereens, you fools.
So it’s “not like anything in life is risk free”, is it, Mandango?
But sensible people know how to assess risk and gain. Do you take this kind of (very expensive) risk for a supposed 25% off your power bill, when many people spend more on petrol and mobile bills which are just essential these days?
Are you tired of being alive?
I think so, probably that’s why you still hang around what you call this “health hazardous” blog.
Mandango70, where do you live? You do not live in the Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Birzebbuga area or any area in the South.
We, that is, those who have some brain cells and love and live in these areas, are worried about your Great Leader’s pigeon-brained ideas on energy.
I can understand why he wants to site this absurdity in the South. He lives safely far away in Burmarrad.
Yes, more thoughtful planning by the idiots.
I think this article should be highlighted and copied around. As an engineer I was not aware of this case, and the consequences of this case are very serious.
The magnitude of this explosion would shock the surrounding area like a mini earthquake, and apart from the human loss of life, we might have a collapse of the cellular cofferdam at terminal 2 at Malta Freeport. This collapse will result in the loss of half of this terminal and obviously huge losses in terms of human life, machinery, plant and financial losses.
Finally if I recall well Konrad Mizzi had stated on TV that no such cases had ever happened. People are not well versed on the consequences of such incidents.
The ship at 7:30 carries four tanks each one holding 34 million litres, That’s approximately the capacity of each one of Labour’s proposed tanks.
The scale can be seen 8:00 onwards. He wasn’t even allowed to wear a microphone. Mosta dome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zo3zeMXd2A
I learnt more in one minute from Richard Hammond than in all the stupid time wasted listening to Konrad Mizzi.
If I was living in Birzebbugia and Marsaxlokk, I’d be looking for an alternative place to live.
As much as I don’t want to live near a fireworks factory, I wouldn’t want to live near a ticking time-bomb.
Are the people so blinded by cheaper electricity that they forget safety comes first? Oh .. wait… Japan.
Perfect, history to repeat itself -just in a different way.
Prosit JosephMuscat.com u KonradMizzi.org (ghax non-profit organisation zgur dan).
Other things to keep in mind:
1) Sonatrach is the same company which once suggested to Malta to build a gas fired power plant similar to theirs (which the Nationalist led government rejected).
2) Algeria has often been mentioned in the Maltese energy debate and, for all we know, the agreement which Labour is keeping mum about, is with this same Algerian company.
3) Algeria doesn’t only have a history of exploding gas tanks similar to the ones Joseph Muscat wants to build. It is also a dangerous unpredictable country led by a dictator. A revolution like the ones in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt would cause huge disruptions.
4) The Labour Party wants to build their power plant and gas tanks without going through too much scrutiny (i.e. necessary red tape, right to appeal, impact assessments and so on) , just so they can get it ready in two years (highly unlikely even if all red tape is removed).
Their energy plans alone are reason enough not to vote Labour.
Sonatrach is the main player in Algeria. Correct me if I’m wrong but dealing with this company is just the same as if you’re dealing with the Algerian government.
When dealing with a dictatorship, you’re always dealing with the government. It might not be at the forefront but it’s always lurking somewhere in the shadows doing shady, shifty and murky business.
What’s more, when decisions are taken, they don’t necessarily have to make legal, business, financial, economic, political or social sense. It all depends on the dictator’s mood. If the dictator decides to cut supplies, not allow foreigners into the country or whatever, people will just have to put up with it.
Gaddafi loved making fun of Malta and watching Labour leaders suck up to him as he did.
As a rule, if you have an alternative, you should always avoid dealing with dictatorships as much as possible, even if you have to pay more. You never know when they’ll blow up, when contracts will stop being worth the paper they’re written on, when you unwittingly end up funding terrorists or when the regime will fall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2PyeXRwhCE
”The lesson to take away from Algeria is that it was an event of greater magnitude than anyone expected,” said Bill Powers, chairman of the Border Power Plant Working Group, an organization in San Diego that has protested plans to build L.N.G. plants nearby in northern Mexico. ”That’s why we should not put L.N.G. facilities anywhere near centers of population.”
If I lived anywhere in the vicinity of Birzebbugia and Marsaxlokk, I would be horrified at this hare-brained proposal of Konrad Mizzi et al and not embrace it blindly and unquestioningly.
Why doesn`t Konrad Mizzi go back to planning roundabouts- it would be much safer for all of us.
Not necessarily, roundabouts can be made dangerous also.
This project is fraught with problems.
Now suppose that the insurers of the Freeport Treminal decide to raise the premium or refuse to insure due to the increased risk.
Has Konrad Mizzi figured this one out?
There’s also legislation related to the amount of ship traffic in port when those tankers are around.
The port authorities of Trieste are dead set against the building of a gas terminal near the port as they say that maritime traffic will have to be interrupted every time a gas tanker enters harbour.
I don’t know why the PN does not give more publicity to this aspect of the PL proposal.
And yesterday timesofmalta.com’s comments board was under fire by the Labour elves with the story that Algeria had offered us an LNG Terminal.
What The Times did not mention that this happened a few months after the disaster in Algeria that flattened the port and killed 30 people.
Credibility is becoming a scarce commodity these days.
Again! First you put our standards on those of Mexico, now with that of Algeria. You must be trying hard to find one that exploded in Europe.
Come on Luigi, keep up.
Daphne found that ages ago.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2013/01/they-say-accidents-never-happen-until-they-do/
Allow me a prediction. Malta, 2016.
Finding ‘one’ which exploded in Europe is not the point, Luigi.
The point is that the Muscat Labour Party is willing to take a chance, however slight, that this can happen.
Furthermore Joseph wants to complete the project in 23 months which means, tendering, obtaining an EIA, building a quay and gas terminal, reinforcing the site where he intends to place the tanks and building the new power station. Will he use imported labour? Will he use the 6000 unemployed irrespective of their skills or willingness to work?
In just one brief moment of sanity, Joseph and his gang should have had enough brains to figure out the impossibility of their plan, on the basis of completion in 23 months alone.
Like his boss, Konrad has a big mouth but he spews only garbage, no wonder he has mysteriously disappeared. But the LP is saddled with Joseph and it’s too late in the game to do anything about it.
Worse, it is Labour’s mistaken notion that Joey is their ‘man’. Can’t blame them since they have only a few lame horses to choose from.
But cunningly they figure out that mentioning a 25% reduction in tariffs will be a lure to capture enough additional votes to win the election but whoever places much importance to Joseph’s promise to ‘resign should the project is not completed in 23 months’, is grossly mistaken.
The end justifies the means, even if it spells placing the welfare of Marsaxlokk’s population in jeopardy, not to mention the power station itself which may become disabled in case of a nearby explosion.
Joseph repeatedly stated that he will take full responsibility. If the worst happens how would he personally make good for the calamity? How responsibly would he able to face a total collapse of Malta’s economy?
Why take an awful chance when a secure and safer alternative can be secured, and with EU help? Joseph plans do not include EU funds. One wonders why, although the motive is getting clearer every day of this campaign.
The plan itself is a gross miscalculation as bad or worse than Joseph’s ‘virtual’ costing which did not include infrastructure or the cost of gas tankers, amounting to some 250 million euro.
@Luigi
Is the state of Massachusetts enough of a standard, instead of Algeria or Mexico? I believe so.
Massachusetts has restricted such terminals to a minimum distance of 5000ft away from any buildings. In our context, Marsaxlokk lies within the 5000ft limit.
Should forward this link to Astrid Vella, since it seems that she is unable to take a position regarding this project.
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/71855_393767977380478_551643366_n.jpg
LNG is less poisonous than LPG but more explosive and the huge quantities being mentioned in the Labour proposal make it particularly hazardous.
http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/181130_395473850543224_2034960261_n.jpg
Well Konrad mizzi never qualified as an engineer so certain details might have been missed.
But I guess a PhD in some obscure aspect of management sounds more impressive to the ignoramuses who vote Labour than a full-on degree in engineering.
What the Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia communities should be saying:
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/554477_394106020680007_1780098975_n.jpg
This is DISGUSTING propaganda.
Shame
They`re FACTS FACTS FACTS . Why don`t you face up to them?
Can`t you learn from Cyprus`s example which experienced huge problems with its electricity supply – not to mention the crippling financial crisis it suffered as a result – in the aftermath of an explosion of an arms depot close to a power station .
We`re not talking about a mere fireworks factory exploding here but about the possibility of a POWER STATION – which will cost the earth to boot- being put out of action for a long period of time, when all this can be avoided- and the extra costs too – by laying a gaspipeline instead and by utilising the interconnector between Malta and Sicily.
This article is about the Cleveland disaster. Two natural gas tanks had exploded killing 130 people.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/natural-gas-explosions-rock-cleveland