Piped-in gas in BGC removes risks posed by sub-standard cylinders

MANILA, Philippines - The risks to consumers of fires and explosions posed by sub-standard LPG cylinders in many parts of the country were recently highlighted with the filing of HB 5942 or the LPG Bill now being deliberated in the Philippine legislature. These risks, point out LPG experts, can easily be eliminated through a number of ways including the use of piped-in gas lines such as those found in Bonifacio Global City.

According to the Association of (LPG) Cylinder Manufacturers, Inc., as many as 900 incidents of fire that claimed scores of lives from 2001 to 2004 were traced to exploding gas tanks. The association pointed out that cylinders that had been junked in other countries, smuggled into the Philippines, then re-used by unscrupulous dealers, were likely to pose such dangers. Traders who use substandard cylinders now account for a significant share of the LPG market in the Philippines where high energy costs have prompted users to seek alternative fuels.

A testimony to advanced technology, exploding substandard tanks and other related risks have practically been eliminated in Bonifacio Global City and the commercial area of Eastwood City, where piped-in LPG is predominantly used. Bonifacio Gas Corporation operates in these two areas, linking residents and restaurants in a reticulated system of pipes that conform to international standards. The company is further seeking to expand its service in other communities. 

The systems utilize earthquake-proof polyethylene pipes with leak-free electro-fused interconnections for distributing gas. From a centralized tank farm, the fuel is released in vapor form – and not in liquid form — into the network. In liquid form, gas expands 250 times when vented into the atmosphere. Distributing gas in vapour form is thus safer since the presence of gas is greatly minimized, says Serge Bernal, general manager of Bonifacio Gas.

For these reason, a number of building owners have banned the use of LPG cylinders and opted to tap into a piped-in network. They have also realized that a piped-in system does not need to maintain gas pressures at the high levels necessitated by cylinders. The higher the pressure used, the greater the danger posed by a leak because more gas will be pushed out or vented into the atmosphere. Bernal says the Bonifacio Gas system maintains a pressure of only 17 psi compared to the 80-100 psi needed by cylinders.