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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Mercado: New industrial zone
By Ram Mercado
A FAST and wide-ranging economic growth in Pampanga will be ushered soon when the Tipco Estate Corporation (Teco) starts accepting manufacturing and high-tech factories in its industrial zone.
The main trigger to this unprecedented entry of billion-peso worth of investments at the area is the Apec power plant (50 megawatts), which is guaranteed to produce an energy supply adequate for the electricity requirement of the investor-locators.
A coal-fired power plant, with similar design but with greater capability than the Mabalacat Apec plant, was the focus of our media group visit deep into Mailiao, Yun Lin County, Taiwan, home base of the Formosa Plastics Group Industrial Park.
Our host was the Formosa Heavy Industries Corp. (FHI), the Plastics Group arm in charge of co-generation plants, the production of heavy machinery including giant boilers, reactors, huge earth covered tanks, pressure containers.
Other FPG companies include Formosa Plastics Corp., Nan-Ya Plastics Corp., Formosa Chemicals and Fiber Corp., and the Formosa Petrochemical Corp. The five groups in the mother firm have assets worth $58 billion and employ some 83,000 personnel.
For half-a-day, our group was toured and briefed in a conference room and actual plant inspection at the 600-megawatt Mailiao power plant. One has to understand a bit of mechanical, chemical engineering, plus knowledge of chemistry and physics to fully comprehend the power plant's clean coal technology.
Imagine, therefore, this aging citizen who was used, back home, to karaoke joints and tricycle rides being shoved to an environ with "accurate furnace combustion design, selective catalyst reduction and electrostatic precipitator."
After a high-powered ten-meal lauriat dinner the night before, you gather energy to assimilate the concept of Low NOX burner, Flue Gas Desulphurization, and closed ash and coal handling system - all guaranteed to achieve and sustain the lowest emission value in the power production.
I understand that the Apec power plant in the Tipco complex will have the latest equipment for advanced coal-fired technology. These are the circulation fluidized bed, pressurized fluidized bed combined cycle. It may take a semester's course on the subject for our protesters-activists to digest the regimen.
The Taiwan tour has convinced me that with the entry of investors to Teco and the power plant as the dynamo of export-oriented industries to be built there, there will arise a new industrial zone in north Pampanga that will be the core of our dream for a major socio-economic miracle.
With Formosa Plastics Group as a lead convener for this industrial transformation, the hope is bright for our people, the jobless graduates, the students, specially, that their dire economic situation may be enlightened by the jobs and economic generating activities coming from the industrial zone in Mabalacat.
The Teco, powered by the 50 MW coal-fired plant, can supply most raw materials for Clark factories, in addition. Taiwan's economy is fueled by its revenues on petrochemical-based produce. The same technology, I predict, will be used at Teco when it operates.
What I can get of the petrochemical industry are the products: plastics, fiber, electronic materials, chemical fertilizer, pesticide, detergent, apparel, rubber, paint. Our toothbrush, towel, clothes, vehicles, amusement machines, food containers, building materials have petrochemical components in them.
I am happy for the people of Mabalacat, Magalang, Angeles City, Concepcion, Bamban, Capas, Tarlac and all Pampanga residents. We should be optimistic that the children we send to school may have their future jobs and opportunities at this new industrial zone.
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Colleagues, friends, and relatives of Sun•Star columnist, editor and Inquirer correspondent Jun Malig join his family in greeting and praying for the good health and success of today's birthday celebrant. Jun is mild-mannered, soft-spoken but can wage a cause unafraid. Happy birthday, Jun!
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"Most Outstanding Kapampangan" Awardee Bong Lacson was feted last night by his friends, with Mabalacat Mayor Boking Morales as host, for winning the highly coveted Journalism Award for 2005. Hail Caesar!
(December 21, 2005 issue)
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