Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star)
- June 1, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department
of Energy (DOE) has named more power projects as energy projects of national
significance (EPNS).
The Energy Investment Coordinating
Council (EICC), led by the DOE, issued a certificate of energy projects of
national significance (CEPNS) for pre-development to the Alimit hydroelectric
power plant of SN Aboitiz Group (SNAP).
The 120-megawatt (MW) Alimit
hydropower plant is part of the 390-megawatt (MW) Alimit Hydropower Complex
currently being developed in the Ifugao province.
The other components, namely the
20-MW Olilicon hydropower plant and 250-MW Alimit pumped storage, were issued
CEPNS last month.
SNAP has been working for over four
years already to complete all permits for its project which include free, prior
and informed consent (FPIC), environment compliance certificate (ECC) and
endorsement from local government units (LGUs).
AboitizPower chief operating officer
Emmanuel Rubio earlier said they were working on securing consent from one
remaining municipal government to approve the Alimit Hydropower Complex.
The EICC also issued a CEPNS for
pre-development to Service Contract (SC) 59 of PNOC Exploration Corp.
(PNOC-EC).
Awarded to PNOC-EC in January 2006,
SC 59 West Balabac is located offshore Southwest Palawan, north of the
deep-water gas discoveries in offshore Malaysia.
The state-run firm holds 100 percent
interest in SC 59. It is farming-out the block.
Meanwhile, the EICC issued CEPNS for
commerciality to several projects of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines
(NGCP) and National Power Corp. (Napocor).
A total of 14 transmission
reinforcement projects of NGCP were included in the list and 35 off-grid
development and service delivery improvement projects of Napocor in Palawan.
The EPNS is intended to establish a
simplified approval process and harmonize the relevant rules and regulations of
all government agencies involved in the permitting process.
Signed by President Duterte in June
2017, EO 30 provides that government agencies concerned with energy projects
should presume other agencies were able to act upon and issue their respective
permits within a 30-day period.
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