$700-M Quezon power plant expansion eyed

PAGBILAO, Quezon ,Philippines  – Team Energy, a joint undertaking of Japanese firms Marubeni Corp. and Tokyo Electric and Power Corp., will start the $700-million expansion of the Pagbilao coal-fired power plant in this province next year. 

Federico Puno, Team Energy president and chief executive officer, said the company would finalize the details of the project that would generate another 400 megawatts of power. 

Puno said talks with another Japanese firm, Mitsubishi, for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract of the project are ongoing. 

“If there is no agreement firmed up within the first half of the year, Team Energy will bid out the EPC contract to enable them to set up everything they need in time for the planned groundbreaking in the first quarter of next year,” he said.

He said Team Energy is optimistic commercial operations could start in 2015.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), however, opposed the expansion of the Pagbilao coal-fired power plant citing a 2009 study, which cited the negative effects of the coal plant to public health. 

The government should demand a performance audit of coal-fired power plants, Pamalakaya said, adding that there should be public consultation on the expansion project.

Citing a 2009 report by a group of experts commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund, Pamalakaya said 88  coal-fired power plants surveyed for the study were found to be responsible for 6,000 to 10,700 deaths from heart ailments, respiratory disease and lung cancer.

Pamalakaya said air pollution from coal-fired power plants is also associated with infant deaths, asthma and other lung diseases. 

Pamalakaya added that coal-fired power plants release hazardous byproducts including arsenic, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese and zinc.