Jul 08 - GSD Welcomes Lloyd’s Register Announcement
The GSD says it welcomes the news that Government has agreed to engage Lloyd’s Register to produce an independent safety report on its behalf for the provision of the LNG terminal in the port. The GSD says that, “despite the Government's efforts to discredit” the work done in this regard by Leader of the Opposition Daniel Feetham and Chairman of the GSD, Trevor Hammond, one of the concerns raised by them in relation to this issue was the fact that up to this point, the intention of the Government was to rely on expert reports commissioned by those with a commercial interest in financing, building and operating these bunkering facilities. The GSD says it is delighted that the pressure it has applied to Government “has directly resulted” in this action to commission Lloyd’s Register adding that this again demonstrates “how an effective, responsible and vigilant Opposition can influence Government and correct mistakes and oversights for the benefit of the community.”
A statement from the party continued: “This announcement by the Government does demonstrate what the GSD has said all along, that the Government’s previous statements on the safety of the project have not been supported by any safety reports, contrary to their claims, otherwise these would already have been placed in the public domain. This work is only commencing now, nearly four years since they announced their intention to build an LNG power station and bunkering terminal at the North Mole and after the awarding of a multi-million pound contract for the construction of the power station.
“The GSD looks forward to the publication of this safety report and calls on Government to provide an indication of when this might be available and when it believes its power station project will be complete.
“The GSD maintains that it does not believe the proposed location in the port is either the correct or safest location. Such facilities cannot be made completely safe, therefore we will need considerable convincing that the construction of an LNG storage facility and terminal in the port, nearby to homes, schools and the hospital can be made acceptable. We again call on Government to reconsider this location and ensure that not a single family in Gibraltar has to live with the risk of having LNG on their doorstep.”
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