THE Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Negros Occidental has passed a Resolution of No Objection (Rono) on the construction of a 300-megawatt (MW) liquified nitrogen gas (LNG) power plant in San Carlos City.
Third District Board Member Manuel Frederick Ko, chairman of the Provincial Board’s Committee on Energy, said the passage of Rono was made during its regular session on June 14, 2022.
"LNG is the cleanest kind of fossil fuel (and) with the passage of Rono, it means that the SP poses no objection or is amenable to the project," Ko said.
He said the Rono is needed by the company for the issuance of Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
A public scoping by the company was already done in the host barangays in San Carlos City, the boardmember added.
San Miguel Corp. Global Power Holdings is eyeing the construction of the P18.5-billion 300-MW LNG power plant in San Carlos City.
The project already has the approval of the host Barangays Punao and Palampas, as well as the City Government of San Carlos.
Based on the submitted documents to the DENR, SMC Global Power Unit Reliance Energy Development Inc. (Redi) will build and run the four 75-MW generators which will be located within San Carlos Ecozone.
The proposed project will be constructed inside the 49-hectare leased property from Grand Planters International Inc.
The Provincial Board’s issuance of Rono was made despite some opposition to the project, especially from some local stakeholder as well as environment and energy advocacy groups.
They are concerned about the environmental and economic implications of a fossil fuel project entering the country’s renewable energy (RE) capital.
San Carlos Bishop Gerry Alminaza, convener of broad clean energy consortium REpower Negros, raised his opposition to add fossil fuel-powered plant in the province that is teeming with renewable power.
He stressed that the existing RE facilities are not even fully maximized by the Negrenses.
“Yet, we would be adding 300 MW more of new capacity by using fossil gas,” the bishop said, adding that “this plant goes against the hope of Negros of becoming 100-percent RE-powered.”