PNOC-EC seeks bids for CNG refilling stations

MANILA, Philippines - PNOC-Exploration Corp., a unit of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC), is seeking bids for the construction of two compressed natural gas refilling stations.

Bid documents showed that the two stations would be constructed in Batangas and Laguna, with a total bid price of P112.99 million for refueling equipment and construction works.

The refueling equipment worth P81.59 million for a daughter station will be delivered to the two sites.

In the documents, PNOC-EC’s Bids and Awards Committee invited bidders to submit proposals for the supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the modular CNG refueling equipment package.

PNOC-EC gave interested parties until Feb. 18 to submit their bids.

The company, meanwhile, issued the notice to bid for the civil works for the modular CNG station in Biñan, Laguna with a budget of P13.1 million.

It also issued the notice to bid for the civil works for the modular CNG station in Batangas City, Batangas with a budget of P18.3 million.

For the submission of bids for civil works on the CNG modular stations in Batangas and Laguna, PNOC EC set the deadline on Feb. 4.

PNOC-EC is pursuing the construction of modular CNG instead of taking over the refilling station of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. in Mamplasan, Laguna.

Company vice president Joseph Omar Castillo earlier said government is pursuing CNG stations because it is “more economical.”

The call for bids is part of the government’s plan to operate CNG buses under the Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport.

PNOC-EC earlier agreed to take over the CNG facilities of Shell which agreed to put up the mother-daughter CNG stations. However, the stations were beset by technical problems.

The government will source the CNG supply from the Malampaya deep-water-to-gas field in northwest Palawan.