Semirara sets P6.9 billion capital spending this year

MANILA, Philippines — Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) of tycoon Isidro Consunji is spending around P6.9 billion this year to beef up its coal fleet and fuel its power generation business.

The capital expenditure this year is slightly higher than SMPC’s forecast budget of P6.6 billion in 2024.

For 2025, the integrated energy arm of the Consunji Group has allocated the bulk of the budget or P5.8 billion to its coal segment for refleeting initiatives and additional acquisition of mining and support equipment.

The remaining P1.1 billion, meanwhile, is earmarked for Sem-Calaca Power Corp. (SCPC) and Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. (SLPGC) for their maintenance activities and initiatives to enhance fuel and feed systems.

In particular, SCPC and SLPGC have been designated a budget of P700 million and P400 million, respectively.

SMPC, through SCPC and SLPGC, operates four units of power plants with a total installed capacity of 900 megawatts in Calaca, Batangas.

Earlier, the company reported an all-time high of 16.5 million metric tons in coal sales last year, surpassing its previous record of 15.8 million MT set in 2023.

The surge was propelled by stronger demand from China and the domestic market.

The company also reached 16 million MT in coal production for the third straight year, hitting the maximum limit allowed under its existing environmental compliance certificate.

“While we anticipate market prices to further normalize in 2025, we remain focused on strengthening our customer network and enhancing operational efficiencies,” SMPC president, COO and chief sustainability officer Maria Cristina Gotianun said.

Gotianun has also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to meeting the growing local and global energy demand.

As the country’s leading coal producer, SMPC supplies fuel to power plants, cement factories and industrial facilities nationwide and exports coal to China, South Korea, Brunei and other nearby markets.