Gov’t evaluates recovering additional diesel costs following arrival of LNG tanker

By THE STAR STAFF

Secretary of Public Affairs Jean Peña Payano said Tuesday that the government is evaluating mechanisms to recover the additional costs incurred from using diesel in Units 5 and 6 of the San Juan Power Plant while awaiting the arrival of the Amur River natural gas tanker vessel.

“Consumption was nearly three or four times higher than what it would have cost had the barge arrived on time,” Peña Payano stated during the En Récord press briefing.

He said that following the vessel’s arrival, the government would begin evaluating available options to seek cost recovery, though he noted that a final analysis had not yet been completed.

“I don’t have the analysis at hand because, honestly, it [the Amur River] has just arrived, and we need to see how it continues to perform,” Peña Payano said. “What we don’t want is for the burden to fall on the weakest link. It always falls on the people at the bottom -- the middle class, the working class -- to pay, so we’ll see what mechanisms we have.”

When asked if the government was considering legal action to recover the funds, Peña Payano declined to preempt a decision.

“That is an evaluation I personally haven’t conducted,” he replied. “I would prefer to consult with the Energy Czar’s team and the people who perform that type of analysis.”

The official noted that the ship’s delayed arrival forced the use of more expensive fuels to power the electrical system for nearly a month while private companies resolved the dispute that was preventing the natural gas supply.