GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- A global conservation group has finally joined calls for the Alcantara-led coal power plant project to abandon the venture, urging the firm instead to pursue renewable energy sources.

Naderev M. Saño, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines climate change and energy program director, asked Conal Holdings Corp to ditch its 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant project worth $450 million.

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"Power generation from coal plants contributes over 35 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions,” he pointed out.

In opposing the coal plant project, Saño noted the country has passed two vital laws -- the Philippine Climate Change Act of 2009 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

With those laws, the era for aggressive renewable energy options has come -- and the continued construction of all coal-fired power plants nationwide belongs to a period that must come to an end, he said.

Joseph C. Nocos, Conal Holdings vice president, said the project will push through despite the criticisms against the firm’s venture, noting they will employ modern technologies to contain pollutants.

"We can't let our massive investments go down the drain by being irresponsible in our operations," he said.

Nocos said they are open to hold dialogues with critics even as he pointed out that the firm has already acquired the environmental compliance certificate.

Conal Holdings, which is 60% owned By Alsons Corp and the rest by the Electricity Generating Public Co., Thailand's biggest power producer, targets to start construction works in the first quarter of 2010 in Maasim, Sarangani province.

The town hosts a world-class dive spot. Environmental group Greenpeace earlier thumbed down the coal plant venture, as well as the local Catholic Church and other local organizations on concerns over human health and the environment.

Saño warned that among the harmful effects of burning coal are polluted air, acid rain, aggravated asthma, poisoned aquatic life and the possible exposure to radioactive materials such as uranium and thorium.

Among the proposed coal plant projects in the country is the 200-MW joint venture of Kepco Philippines Corp and Salcon Power Corp in Naga, Cebu province worth $120 million.

The Cebu Energy Development Corp. is also planning to construct three coal plants with a working capacity of 82-MW each in Toledo City.

In Concepcion, Iloilo, a planned 100-MW coal power plant by the DMCI Power Corp. was reportedly scaled down to 60-MW largely because local cooperatives have decided to source out the majority of their power from renewable energy sources.

However, construction is on-going for the 164-MW coal power plant in Barangay Ingore, in the heart of Iloilo City. The $405 million power plant is being built by Panay Energy Development Corp., a subsidiary of Global Business Power Corp., WWF-Philippines said.

In rejecting coal power plants, the group said the country has been blessed with an abundance of indigenous sources of clean, renewable energy.

"The Philippines is the world's second-largest producer of geothermal energy," said Rafael Senga WWF Asia -Pacific energy policy coordinator.

"We also have tremendous wind resources just waiting to be tapped. All we need are key industry leaders in the coal sector to take the initiative – to show the rest that a shift can be done, and done very well," he added.