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Thursday, July 07, 2005
GMA endorsement of coal plants illegal: NGO
As if the problems bugging President Arroyo are not enough, a non-government organization accused the chief executive of committing an illegal act by endorsing two proposed coal power plants in Cebu.
Vince Cinches of Cebu Alliance for Renewable Energy (Care) said the Arroyo administration is liable for “endorsing environmentally destructive projects” such as the two coal power plants and mining.
In her visits in Cebu, Arroyo had said the future power crisis in the province will be answered by additional supply from the proposed coal fired power plants of the consortium of Salcon and the Korean Electric Power Co. (Kepco) in Naga and that of Mirant in Toledo City.
“The endorsement she made…is illegal and invalid like her administration. (The endorsement) reflects the administration of GMA (President Arroyo), which is highly immoral and anti-people,” Cinches said.
Power crisis
According to Cinches, while Arroyo and the Department of Energy (DOE) said the future coal-fired power plants are needed to avert a power crisis in the Visayas, current data show an excess capacity in the grid of 658 megawatts.
The consortium of Salcon and Kepco, and Mirant have assured that the projects will not cause any environmental damage.
Energy Undersecretary Guillermo Balce said the 2005-2014 energy development plan, which forecasts power supply and demand in the country, predicts that the gap between supply and demand will widen in Cebu.
Even if there is a connection that allows the transmission of geothermal power from Leyte to Cebu, he said less electricity will be exported by Leyte because there will also be growth (in demand) in that province.
Contract
Salcon Power Corp. has a contract to rehabilitate and run National Power Corp.’s coal fired power plants and gas turbines in Colon, Naga in southern Cebu. Mirant, on the other hand, is operating a 35-megawatt (mw) coal fired power plant in Toledo City.
Salcon, with Kepco, plans to put up two 100 mw coal fired power plants in Naga that will become operational by 2008. Mirant proposed a 50 mw coal-fired power plant to become operational by 2008 and two other such facilities, with combined capacity of 100 mw, which will start operating by 2011.
The new plants will use the circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler type technology, which Mirant and Salcon officials said, is “clean” because it prevents the emission of pollutants in the atmosphere. Salcon had said the technology includes devices that control sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide emissions.
But Care is calling for an investigation on alleged toxic emissions of coal fired power plants. (LAP)
(July 7, 2005 issue)
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