DENR issued ECC to Subic Coal Plant
Philippines' Aboitiz Power in 440 mln usd power plant Joint Venture with Taiwan Cogen
Aboitiz Power Corp will jointly invest with Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp between 220 million and 440 million US dollars in a 300-350 megawatt coal-fired power plant project at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, north of the capital Manila, Aboitiz Power president Erramon Aboitiz said Monday.
"In the next two years, we could start the first phase of the power plant project in Subic with Taiwan Cogen. It will be a 50-50 arrangement," Aboitiz told reporters at a briefing after the company's listing today. Aboitiz said the Subic joint venture with Taiwan Cogen has already secured an environmental clearance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources but it would not be able to break ground this year as the feasibility study has yet to be completed. He said depending on demand, the power plant's capacity may be increased to a maximum of 600 MW.
"We are expecting a big demand for electricity and an increased demand for more investment in power generation, especially as the economy improves and supply in certain parts of the country tightens," he said.
The company is currently talking to several potential off-takers for the Subic power plant, he said. In the next few years, Aboitiz Power will continue to bid for plants being privatized by the government, pursue its greenfield power projects and expand its renewable energy business.
"Our current power mix is 60 percent hydropower and the rest is thermal power, but we have to have some diversity since we can' be reliant on just one fuel source. We will still want to look for hydropower projects over the long term and to build renewable sources like geothermal power to shield us from volatile oil prices," said Aboitiz.
Next year, he said Aboitiz Power will begin construction of the 42-MW Sibulan hydropower project and the 30-MW Tamugan hydropower project in the Visayas and Mindanao, respectively. Aboitiz Power is a unit of publicly-listed conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc and listed Monday a total of 7.4 billion common shares following its recent IPO of 1.74 billion primary shares. Xinhua Financial Network (XFN)
Aboitiz Power Corp will jointly invest with Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp between 220 million and 440 million US dollars in a 300-350 megawatt coal-fired power plant project at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, north of the capital Manila, Aboitiz Power president Erramon Aboitiz said Monday.
"In the next two years, we could start the first phase of the power plant project in Subic with Taiwan Cogen. It will be a 50-50 arrangement," Aboitiz told reporters at a briefing after the company's listing today. Aboitiz said the Subic joint venture with Taiwan Cogen has already secured an environmental clearance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources but it would not be able to break ground this year as the feasibility study has yet to be completed. He said depending on demand, the power plant's capacity may be increased to a maximum of 600 MW.
"We are expecting a big demand for electricity and an increased demand for more investment in power generation, especially as the economy improves and supply in certain parts of the country tightens," he said.
The company is currently talking to several potential off-takers for the Subic power plant, he said. In the next few years, Aboitiz Power will continue to bid for plants being privatized by the government, pursue its greenfield power projects and expand its renewable energy business.
"Our current power mix is 60 percent hydropower and the rest is thermal power, but we have to have some diversity since we can' be reliant on just one fuel source. We will still want to look for hydropower projects over the long term and to build renewable sources like geothermal power to shield us from volatile oil prices," said Aboitiz.
Next year, he said Aboitiz Power will begin construction of the 42-MW Sibulan hydropower project and the 30-MW Tamugan hydropower project in the Visayas and Mindanao, respectively. Aboitiz Power is a unit of publicly-listed conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc and listed Monday a total of 7.4 billion common shares following its recent IPO of 1.74 billion primary shares. Xinhua Financial Network (XFN)
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email from Mr. Miguel Aboitiz (19 June 2008)
The article was very informative, but it contained a statement saying that the Subic coal plant was given an ECC by the DENR. In reality the project has an ECC from SBMA, and is still in the process of obtaining an ECC from the DENR. We expect the process to Finish before the end of this year.
miguel aboitiz
Labels: aboitiz, coal fired plant, cogen, news, olongapo, subic
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
5:11 PM
3 Comments:
Im very concerned re this coal plant. No enviroment report have been published or no public hearing have been done. Are the industry players free to do what they like. I also miss Richard & Bong Gordon view on the issue. Up to now, they have been mute.There are no known requirments to Aboitz, it just say SBMA will check rules and regulations. When SBMA can not check their own vehicles for black smoke, we know there will be nothing done. Looks like SBMA present admin are not listening to the people. Majority of people dont want any coal plant here, so why is it not stopped. SBMA should announce public hearing now. even when ECC is issued, its not to late.
By
Anonymous, at 6/18/2008 6:50 AM
A serious comment...
POWER GENERATION through COAL is indeed one good way to lessen our dependency on oil. Our authorities should however consider the following fact:
- * Burning coal produces carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
* These gases are vented from the boiler.
CO2 and NOx are the TWO (2) MOST HIGHLY REGARDED CONTRIBUTOR to GLOBAL WARMING,
15 years ago, we dont buy water for drinking,we don't bother heat that much, weather is not as abnormal as it is today....
I hope before we support the COAL-fired power plant maisip muna natin.....15 years from NOW, baka pati hangin bilihin na na rin ng mga anak natin at baka ang shifting ng weather pattern maging per hour na o baka naman bawal na lumabas ng 8AM-4AM dahil sobra na ang init..
We take it so lightly and ignore the signs, the ave. temp of Subic during the Navy years is somewhere between 19-23..... ngayon the average is 26C to 32C, (the mere fact na JUNE na).
We don't even need to be an expert to see the signs.....Let us just be FACTUAL about this....ARE WE REALLY READY TO PUT OUR YOUNGER GENERATION's LIFE AT RISK???
Mario Esquillo
Council Scout Executive
James L. Gordon Council-BSP
By
Anonymous, at 6/19/2008 6:44 AM
Just a reaction,
A coal generated power plant is not a solution in the current power crisis. Why? Economically speaking, this infrastructure requires a big amount of budget to purchase logs that will be used in generating the power. Which means the government will be spending a lot of money just to build the said project. Second environmentally speaking, the neighboring mountain ranges here in Zambales are already denuded and we have no sufficient supply to sustain the demand of the said power plant. Its a fact that in year 1900, the forest cover of the Philippines is 80% but during the year of 1999 the percentage forest cover drop to 20%. This means that for the past century, logs has been in demand for domestic purposes and for infrastructure needs.
Lets just assume that we don't know anything about the environment and talk economically. I think it is better if we look for cheaper and renewable energy source rather than using a Coal, Geothermal and hydroelectric power plants. We have two alternatives left. The Solar and Wind Energy. In other countries, especially in Japan, they use Silicone based solar panel to generate power for buildings and other establishments. Here in the Philippines we have Wind Mills in Ilocos Norte that produce Electric Energy without damaging the environment( Although there are cases when government clear areas for its construction).
Now let us talk about environmental issues. As we all know the whole world is suffering the effects of Global Warming. As a simple discussion in my Ecology Class when I was in College, all cycles in the environment are interconnected. The hydrologic Cycle, Carbon Cycle, Sulfur Cycle etc. Once you alter a part of the cycle, it will be changes. Like for example in Carbon Cycle, Coal is a very rich source of carbon because essentially coal came from the trunk of trees which is one of the biggest source of stored carbon in the environment(Carbon Reservoir). Burning coal will liberate the stored carbon in the environment combining with oxygen after the chemical reaction causing the liberation of Carbon Dioxide. Isn't that carbon dioxide is the sole reason why global warming is happening? And yet we are going to put up a Coal power Plant and contribute with other selfish countries in emitting Carbon Dioxide?
Another chemical that can be released in the atmosphere from a coal power plant are Nitrogen oxides and Sulfur Oxides. My dear friends, these chemicals are the reason why some places experience acid rain. When marine water is contaminated with these chemicals, the metabolic activity marine animals mostly of phytoplakntons and algaes will be in danger. Remember that the Subic Bay is a home for marine wild life and most of the communities nearby depends on fish they catch. And as we say in ecology, what you eat is what you are. Meaning that if marine animals eat phytoplanktons or algaes with high concentrations of Sulfur oxides and Nitrogen oxides then it will also encorporate in the next tropic level up to the last tropic level which is I am sure the Homo sapiens.
Now what am I trying to say, we can choose better technologies to create energy cheaply, environmental friendly and practical in a sense. I think that the government should not be focusing on how we can preserve our resources and not in the other way around.
The problem with the Philippine Government is that we keep on favoring investors rather than our own. We keep on allowing foreign countries to exploit our natural resources instead of us using it in our own ecological and environmental way.
We Filipinos should be really careful in this kind of issues. Continues education about this topic should be done. I suggest that we educate youth and other sectors and let us make a campaign against this issue.
Let us show the world that we support the fight against this kind of act.
Another thing Mr. Miguel Aboitiz, it is not the issue of exemptions from the Kyoto Convention or acquiring an ECC but rather its more of "COMMON SENSE" that we should be joining the whole world to fight the adverse effects of Global Warming. The proposal to have a Coal Power Plant is a very SELFISH ACT for businessmen like you filling your pockets with more money rather than thinking for the security of the next generation.
ES El B. Latinazo
Volunteer Scouter
James L. Gordon Council
Former member Philippine Society for the Study of Nature Jr.- UP Baguio
By
Anonymous, at 6/22/2008 5:07 PM
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