By: Ronnel W. Domingo - 05:24 AM January 12, 2018
Coal-fired power plants are expected
to continue to account for a significant share in the Philippines’ energy mix
until 2020 despite strong headwinds from government and civil society.
According to a paper from Energy and
Natural Resource Market Reports, coal’s share will remain high at about 32
percent of total energy consumption even amid strong opposition from
environmentalists.
Consumer welfare advocates as well
as electricity industry players have also warned of rising power costs due to
increases in the excise tax on coal.
The Tax Reform for Acceleration and
Inclusion (TRAIN) law raises the tax on coal from P10 per metric ton previously
to P50 per ton this year. The coal tax would rise further to P100 per ton in
2019 and to P150 per ton in 2020.
The Poland-based research firm said
the Philippines would replace imported coal used in power generation with local
output thanks to increased production from the Visayas and new mines in
Mindanao.
The company took note of production
in Semirara Island in the Visayas, where Semirara Mining and Power Corp. was
undertaking efforts to increase coal output by one-third in volume to reach 16
million metric tons in the next two to three years.
“The Philippines will gradually
reduce its dependence on imported energy, as petroleum products from overseas
decline in importance in its energy mix and as the country makes more use of
locally available fuels,” the report said. “Fossil fuels will remain the
Philippines’ main source of energy, but the country will also continue to
exploit alternative energy sources.”
In a separate report, United
Kingdom-based consultancy Wood Mackenzie said coal-fired power projects were
expected in the next two decades to maintain dominance in the energy markets of
emerging economies in Asia.
Wood Mackenzie said emerging markets
in Asia were expected to attract a total of $250 billion worth of investments
in coal-fired power over the next decade.
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