Rody: Philippines to continue using coal

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Philippines has no choice but to continue using coal to address the increasing demand for power in the country, President Duterte said yesterday.

“At this time, whoever is the president of the Philippines would always contend with coal. There’s so much coal still that can be utilized by civilization for the next 50 to 70 years. And to be worrying about pollution, well, you just have to come to terms with it that in our time, in our generation, it is really what it is. There is nothing you can do about it,” Duterte said during the ceremonial switch-on of the first 105-megawatt section of the Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC) in Barangay Kamanga, Maasim, Sarangani province.

The President also led the groundbreaking ceremony for the second 105-MW section of the SEC facility. 

According to Duterte, coal remains the most viable and cheapest energy source in the country. 

The operation of the power plant is in line with the Duterte administration’s plan to energize the entire country by the end of its term by encouraging the private sector to increase investments in power generation and provide stable, affordable and sufficient energy.

The SEC baseload coal-fired power plant will have the capacity to produce up to 210 MW of electricity for southern and south central Mindanao. 

According to the website of the Alsons Power Group, the first 105-MW section began commercial operations in April last year and currently supplies General Santos City, Sarangani and other key areas of Mindanao. 

The second 105-MW section of the SEC plant is expected to start operation in 2018.

The Alsons Power Group, Mindanao’s first independent power producer, has awarded the $280-million engineering, procurement and construction contract for the second 105-MW power plant to the Yokohama, Japan-based global engineering firm JGC Corp. and its local subsidiary JGC Philippines Inc.