Batangas City – The Department of Energy (DOE) welcomed Isla Import Terminals, Inc.’s (IITI) investment in a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) import terminal in Batangas City, citing the facility’s contribution to strengthening the country’s LPG supply chain and improving the reliability of fuel supply for households and businesses nationwide.
Located in Barangay Libjo, the IITI facility has a nominal total storage capacity of 25 kilotons (kT) of propane, butane and mixed LPG. It is designed to receive propane and butane shipments from Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs), as well as pressurized LPG, for distribution across the country through LPG trucks and inter-island pressurized LPG vessels.
Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin, during her visit to the newly constructed facility, underscored the role of import, storage and distribution infrastructure in building a more secure and resilient LPG supply chain.
“For an archipelagic country like the Philippines, energy security depends both on having adequate supply, and on having the infrastructure to receive, store and move that supply efficiently across the country. This terminal adds significant capacity to our LPG supply chain and strengthens our ability to serve consumers nationwide,” Secretary Garin said.
“The additional import and storage capacity here in Batangas strengthens a critical link in the country’s LPG supply chain. It gives us greater flexibility in bringing LPG into the country and moving it to communities where it is needed,” she added.
The Batangas visit comes a little over a month after Secretary Garin led the inauguration of Isla LPG Corporation’s Leganes Plant in Iloilo. The two facilities strengthen different segments of the LPG supply chain, with the Leganes Plant expanding storage, cylinder filling and distribution capacity in Western Visayas, while the Batangas terminal provides large-scale import and storage capability to support distribution to markets nationwide.
Secretary Garin said continued investments across the LPG supply chain strengthen the country’s ability to respond to external shocks, particularly as geopolitical developments and other disruptions can affect international fuel markets, shipping routes and the movement of energy products.
“Events beyond our borders can affect the availability, movement and cost of energy products. Strengthening our domestic infrastructure gives us greater capacity and flexibility to respond to these disruptions while continuing to serve Filipino consumers,” Secretary Garin said.
Secretary Garin likewise emphasized that expanded LPG infrastructure must be accompanied by strict adherence to safety, engineering and regulatory requirements, noting that safety remains non negotiable across the LPG value chain, from importation and bulk storage to transport, refilling and distribution.
“Energy security ultimately must be felt by the Filipino consumer. For LPG, that means families and businesses being able to rely on the fuel they need, when and where they need it. Investments that expand our import, storage and distribution capabilities help build a more secure and resilient energy system for the country,” Secretary Garin said.
