Gas Seep Harvesting project

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The development objective of the Gas Seep Harvesting Project is to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of harvesting seep gas from natural gas seeps to produce reliable and affordable power for isolated rural communities in the south eastern part of Timor-Leste. The expected outcomes of the project will be the successful completion of the demonstration project at the Aliambata gas seep site and supply of relatively reliable and affordable electricity to rural communities near the project site. There are two components to the project: the first is the investment component which involves construction of a dual-fuel power plant at Aliarnbata, using the gas from the seeps and diesel oil for power generation. The capacity of the power plant will be 3x150 kW. One of the generators will be a gas generator set and the other two will be duel fuelled engine generator sets each rated at about 150 kW. The dual fuel engine generator sets will have engines that will automatically adjust the gas diesel oil ratio, which will vary depending on gas quality, quantity available and local ambient conditions. However about 70-80 percent the fuel will come from gas. The 20-30 percent will come from diesel oil only to ensure the capability of the system to meet peak demand. Overall, the gas-based power generators at Aliambata will supply electricity to approximately 1,000 households currently connected to the power system and about 2,000 new households as well as some small commercial customers. The second component is for technical assistance. In order to manage the implementation of the project, a Project Manager will be recruited under the National Directorate for Water and Electricity Policy (NDWEP) of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Minerals and Energy Policy (MNRMEP). The project manager will be funded by the project. Additional activities under this component are: continued socialization, training, incremental operating expenses and auditing.