LNG plant safe, High Court told

The Petronet LNG Limited on Wednesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it would maintain a high safety standard and risk management system for the Kochi LNG terminal which is under construction.

“LNG is an industry in which safety consideration is of utmost importance. The industry demands regulations, codes, standards and best practices, while dealing with safety aspects. We are planning to put in place multiple layers of protection to minimise the risk of an LNG leakage,” Petronet senior vice- president Pushp Khetarpal submitted.

Petronet filed the statement on a petition filed by the Elankunnapuzha Panchayat Residents Association Apex Council seeking a directive to take steps to set up security arrangements at the terminal that will come up at Puthuvype here.

According to the statement of Petronet, they have already conducted a quantitative risk analysis study, which assesses the risk to the nearby population on account of the terminal.

The study by a Hongkong-based agency concluded that the probability of any fatality to the surrounding population is extremely remote, equivalent to one fatality in 18,000 years. LNG Petronet also told the court that it had obtained all the required permission from the statutory authorities such as the PCB. The construction would not result in any destruction of mangroves as there are no mangroves in the proposed plant site. However, it has taken measures to promote mangrove cultivation with the help of the Social Forestry Department.