KEPCO power plant project goes on despite opposition

Despite opposition from environmental groups and some local residents, Korean Electric Power Corporation said it is still committed to continue implementing its P15-billion 200-megawatt power project in Naga town, Cebu.

The Korean company also reiterated its commitment to pursue its rural electrification project which involves the energization of 200 barangays for this year alone.

Kang-Won Lee, the new president and chief executive officer of KEPCO-Philippines, recently paid a courtesy call on Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla to reiterate their company's commitment to continuing their business operations in the country. Kang-Won Lee replaces Gil-Gu Lee as KEPCO-Philippines president and CEO. Lotilla expressed appreciation for KEPCO's commitment to finish its projects to provide power to barangays that do not yet have electricity.

"We appreciate KEPCO's commitment to continue their operations in the country, particularly of the 200-MW Cebu-Naga power plant project. They have also reiterated their commitment to carry on with their rural electrification project, which involves energizing 200 barangays for this year alone," Lotilla said in a press statement.

The DOE said that KEPCO has already helped energize 200 barangays in different areas of the country in previous years. The 200 barangays they will electrify this year constitute the first batch of 500 barangays they pledged to energize last 2005. They will work with electric cooperatives from Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga Apayao, Samar, Ticao Island in Masbate, Palawan and Cebu to complete the project this year.

According to the energy department, the 200-MW coal-fired power plant that KEPCO plans to build in Naga will utilize clean coal technology that limits nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide emissions at environment-friendly levels. KEPCO is undertaking the project jointly with Salcon Power Corporation.

However, the implementation of the multi-billion project was delayed due to some environmental concerns. Environmental groups are opposed to the project, which they describe as threat to people's health and the environment because of toxic chemicals that the power plant may produce.

The proposed project will use the circulating fluidized-bed combustion technology, which its proponents claim is one of the cleanest and most efficient technologies in the world.

Groundbreaking of the project was done in December 2005 and its construction was supposed to start last year. By October this year, the first plant is expected to operate while the other plant is expected to operate by October 2008.

Aside from Cebu, Lotilla also encouraged KEPCO to explore other investment opportunities in the country's energy sector, particularly in the Mindanao and Panay islands, where power supply is considered critical. The company likewise expressed interest in renewable sources of power in the country.

KEPCO's Philippine operations include the KEPCO Philippines Corporation (KEPHILCO), which operates the 650 MW Malaya Thermal Power Plant in barangay Malaya, Pilillia, Rizal, and the KEPCO Ilijan Corporation (KEILCO), which operates the 1,200 MW Ilijan Combined Cycle Power Plant in Ilijan, Batangas.

KEPHILCO and KEILCO power plants currently provide approximately one seventh of the Philippines' installed generation capacity. - Wenna A. Berondo