GPDP 3 Hosts Midyear Monitoring Workshop on LNG Downstream Development

17 Jul 25

The Gas Policy Development Project Phase 3 (GPDP 3) conducted a Midyear Monitoring Workshop on 17–18 July 2025 at Ardenhills Suites, Quezon City, bringing together Philippine government agencies and technical experts to strengthen the regulatory and technical capacity of the agencies involved in the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry.

Apart from the GPDP’s main partner, the Department of Energy Philippines, nine other partner agencies took part in the event, particularly: the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), City Government of Batangas, Department of Environment and Natural Resources –Environmental Management Bureau (DENR–EMB), Department of Labor and Employment – DOLE (DOLE), Department of Health – Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ), Laguna Lake Development Authority (Official)(LLDA), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine Ports Authority(PPA).

The two-day workshop featured a Technical Session on Day 1 and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) among TWGs on Day 2, each designed to support the development of the PDNGI’s regulatory framework and the creation of partner agencies’ specific regulations.

Japanese energy firms JERA Co., Inc. and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. delivered technical and regulatory presentations on LNG downstream processes. Mr. Kento Noji, Assistant Manager at JERA’s Energy Transition Promotion Unit, discussed the LNG value chain, global trends, and environmental advantages. Mr. Noriaki Negishi, Senior Supervisor at JERA’s Overseas Engineering Service Group, discussed LNG terminal operations— including safety measures, unloading systems, storage, regasification, and distribution. Negishi also provided an overview of Japan’s regulatory framework and LNG-related legislation.

Mr. Yukio Takahashi, Senior Manager of JERA Co., Inc.’s Energy Transition Promotion Unit, opened the session with his remarks.
Mr. Kento Noji, Assistant Manager of the Energy Transition Promotion Unit under JERA Co., Inc.’s Platform Business Group, delivered a presentation on the Introduction of LNG.

From Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Mr. Shinsuke Umada, General Manager of the Integrated Liquefied Gas Transport and Offshore Projects Unit, outlined commercial models and legal frameworks for Floating Solutions (i.e., Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs), Floating Storage Units (FSUs), and Bunkering System). Mr. Hikaru Tarumi, Technical Manager of the LNG & Ethane Project Team, focused on the technical part of the Floating Solutions.

Mr. Shinsuke Umada, General Manager of Integrated Liquefied Gas Transport and Offshore Projects, Liquefied Gas Unit 3 at Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., presented the Introduction to Floating Solutions – Commercial Part.
Mr. Noriaki Negishi, Senior Supervisor of the Overseas Engineering Service Group at JERA Co., Inc., delivered the presentation on the LNG Facility and its Functions.

On Day 2, the TWGs, which are composed of the GPDP’s Regulation Creation team and representatives from the partner agencies, engaged in a focused discussion to review and validate the proposed Agency-Specific Regulation’s Pre-Initial Draft (PID). The session discussed and consolidated inputs to improve the working draft.

The GPDP-3 Midyear Monitoring Workshop forms part of the project’s Regulation Creation component, which supports the development of codes, standards, and the overall regulatory framework for the Philippine downstream industry.