Build power plant in Balili property

CEBU, Philippines - The Capitol has offered the controversial Balili property in barangay Tinaan, Naga City to Korea Southern Power Co., Ltd. (Kospo) as site for another coal-fired power plant in Cebu.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the Balili property is ideal for the coal plant, because it needs to be situated near the sea as huge ships are used to deliver the coal.

Garcia said that the province has a lot of properties situated in Cebu City, Carmen, Medellin, and others, but the Balili property is the most ideal.

Garcia cited Kospo’s sister-company, Korea Electric Power Company (Kepco), also in Naga City which is near the sea.

The interest of Kospo to build a power plant here is welcome, Garcia said, as it takes two to three years to complete a power plant and Cebu needs more power supply to boost economic growth.

Representatives of Kospo already met Garcia early this year to present their plan to put up another 400-megawatt of coal-fired power plant.

Last March, Garcia met officials of Department of Energy to discuss the proposal of Kospo.

During the meeting, DOE Visayas field officer Antonio Labios said Cebu’s power supply is stable up to 2015.

Garcia, in a press conference yesterday, said Kospo is now going about the documentary processes needed to get a permit for the construction of a power plant.

She said that the DOE will need to issue a certification on the viability of the need for another power plant.

“The important thing is, we do hope that they will decide to put up a plant,” Garcia said.

Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda said that he already had sent to Kospo information about sovereign guarantee foreign investors need to put up business here.

Garcia earlier said she will pursue the development of the P98-million Balili property in line with the industrial development of Naga City in an advanced and environmentally safe manner.

The property became controversial after questions were raised since portions of the property are submerged or planted with mangroves.

Garcia and other Capitol officials are now facing charges before the anti-graft office for the purchased of the said property. — /NLQ (FREEMAN)