A TOP official of Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC), a unit of the Global Business Power Corp., is not threatened by the entry of various biomass power plants in different areas of Panay Island.
"In fact, I welcome these biomass power projects as it will add to the power supply in the area and trigger socio-economic development. But in the end, it simply cannot compete against a base-load power plant in producing sustainable and steady power supply," PEDC President Jesus Alcordo said.
Soon-to-be-completed and commissioned before the end of this year, PEDC is now constructing a 164-megawatt first coal fired power plant in the region to answer the needs for enough power supply.
"Big business and industries are soon coming to Iloilo City and province (Panay) because of the assurance of sustainable power supply, notably from the coal fired power plant," Alcordo said.
Iloilo City on Friday witnessed the signing of purchase power supply agreements between Panay Island electric cooperatives and PEDC.
Alcordo said the biomass power plant will need a tremendous supply of biomass consisting of agricultural wastes, such as rice husks and rice straws. This fuel demand for the biomass plant is expected to create a strain with the farmers and the environment.
The British Embassy in Manila has announced recently the construction of a 17.5 megawatt biomass power plant project in Mina, Iloilo, some 40 kilometers east of Iloilo City.
A British-subsidized company, the Green Power Panay Philippines, will build the biomass power plant to help address the power shortage in the province of Iloilo. (Lydia C. Pendon)