It is like a magic."
Tokyo (ANTARA News) - Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla was shown with a demonstration of the use of liquified natural gas (LNG), an environmental-friendly source of energy when visiting Tokyo Gas plant in Chiba, Japan, on Sunday.

"The LNG at this container is colorless and odorless," Kago from the Tokyo Gass Energy Division explained while demonstrating the use of the energy source before his guests including industry minister Saleh Husin at Sodegaura LNG Terminal.

Kago said LNG is not like other sources of energy like coal and oil which could be dangerous because they contain hazardous gas.

In the demonstration Kago showed that LNG could reach minus 160 degrees Celsius.

He then put a carnation into the LNG container and asked Kalla wearing a glove to hold the flower which had immediately turned frozen and become vulnerable.

"It is like a magic," Kalla commented showing his awe at what had happened.

A rubber ball was then put into the LNG and it also turned frozen. The ball broke into pieces on the floor after it was thrown to fall from a height of 1.5 meter.

Kago said LNG has freezing power which is useful for example to freeze tuna fish to make it remain fresh during delivery.

He said if it is turned into gas LNG could swell almost 60 times bigger and so it would be better if it is turned into frozen form when it is to be shipped abroad.

"We have a huge LNG carrying capacity ship. We have a ship that carry almost 100,000 tons," he said adding that Tokyo Gas received more than 200 ships per year.

During the visit Vice President Jusuf Kalla was also shown how clean was firing by LNG unlike that by oil.

Kago said if leakage occurs at sea during shipment and LNG spills into the sea it will only cause a small water layer to freeze but it will not spoil the sea. "This is environmental friendly," he said.

The Indonesian government is currently boosting development of pipe infrastructure to distribute gas to houses, head of Investment Coordinating Board Franky Sibarani has said.

"Now the government is encouraging gas use at households and with its experience Tokyo Gas has now become a strategic partner of Pertamina (Indonesias state-owned oil/gas company)," he said.

(Reporting by Muhammad Razi Rahman/Uu.H-YH/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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