PN strategists have again decided to use the “FEAR” tactic which they had unsuccessfully  used during the last election campaign, about the “ gas tanks bigger than Mosta Dome exploding” “at the new gas power station which is to be built at Delimara.

I have read two reports about the myths and the facts surrounding the use of LNG in power stations, especially the risk of any possibility of an “explosion” occurring. This is dealt with in depth in both reports. And both conclude that there is more risk in, say, driving a car to work, or flying in an aeroplane! I will just quote a small part of one report, which was by four experts on the subject: Dr Georges A. Merhem, Dr Ashok S. Kalelkar, Dr Sanjeev Saraf and Henry Ozog.

In their report entitled “Managing LNG Risks: Separating the Facts from the Myths”, the authors mention 12 myths surrounding the use of LNG. They reply in a most detailed way to each of these myths, at the end of which they conclude: “For decades, natural gas has been transported through pipelines and although there are occasional gas leaks and fires our society is not asking us to stop using natural gas.

“Our society is not asking us to stop using high voltage electric lines which can become very dangerous when damaged in freezing weather or by earthquakes (in Malta’s case , by very high winds).

“Our society is not asking us to stop using automobiles which are involved in thousands of fatalities each year in the United States.

“We use natural gas (LNG vapour) burners safely in millions of homes and businesses every day.

“We need natural gas to generate electric power, cook our food, and heat our homes and offices.

“We need energy and we learn to handle it safely through regulations, codes, and standards so that society is well-protected.

“If we only managed hazards, no one would be flying an airplane or driving a car. When we fly or drive we are aware that we could get killed but we factor in the likelihood of that occurring and it is very low. We should and do manage risk and not just hazards. The LNG industry has a lower risk profile than airlines, and chemical and petrochemical processing facilities to name a few. Risk is defined as the probability of occurrence of an unwanted event.”

One sincerely hopes that Dr. Simon Busuttil and his cohorts stop using the “fear” factor in their desperate bid to obstruct the building of the new gas power station at Delimara. They had already tried this in the recent past during the general election campaign, and it backfired!

 

Eddy Privitera

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