DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Individuals and groups opposing the coal-fired power plant in Sarangani province—including Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao—could no longer prevent project completion and subsequent operation, an energy official said here Monday.
Edmar Derla, chief of the Department of Energy’s oilindustry management division, said the coal-fired power plant has been commissioned to supply 200 megawatts of additional power for Southern Mindanao. During a forum with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) officials here, Derla responded to the worries expressed by exporters over the opposition of Pacquiao and other groups to the project.
The exporters feared that Pacquiao and other groups could stall the project.
“The project is already on commission although there is minor opposition from the Koronadal diocese, among others,” Derla said.
He assured the public that the power shortage would be eased by the subsequent operation of the coal-fired plant, now being built by Conal Holdings.
Conal Holdings is a corporation that counts the Alcantara Group, a company owned by the family of Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez, among itsshareholders.
Derla said the long power outages in Mindanao at the height of the El Niño had made the government cut its dependence on hydropower and pursue other forms of power generation.
“It’s understandable because Mindanao depends on 53 per cent of its total power requirements on hydropower,” he said.
Derla said even if Mindanao’s dependable power generation capacity was 1,682 megawatts against the demand of 1,241 megawatts, new power plants had to be built as soon as possible.
He said Mindanao’s power demand has been growing by 4.3 percent annually and would require an additional 660 megawatts by 2017.
“With another Hedcor plant in Compostela Valley and the Sibulan plant (in Davao del Sur) in full operation, and the opposition to the Tamugan hydroproject finally resolved, everything will be falling into place,” Derla said.
Edmar Derla, chief of the Department of Energy’s oilindustry management division, said the coal-fired power plant has been commissioned to supply 200 megawatts of additional power for Southern Mindanao. During a forum with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) officials here, Derla responded to the worries expressed by exporters over the opposition of Pacquiao and other groups to the project.
The exporters feared that Pacquiao and other groups could stall the project.
“The project is already on commission although there is minor opposition from the Koronadal diocese, among others,” Derla said.
He assured the public that the power shortage would be eased by the subsequent operation of the coal-fired plant, now being built by Conal Holdings.
Conal Holdings is a corporation that counts the Alcantara Group, a company owned by the family of Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez, among itsshareholders.
Derla said the long power outages in Mindanao at the height of the El Niño had made the government cut its dependence on hydropower and pursue other forms of power generation.
“It’s understandable because Mindanao depends on 53 per cent of its total power requirements on hydropower,” he said.
Derla said even if Mindanao’s dependable power generation capacity was 1,682 megawatts against the demand of 1,241 megawatts, new power plants had to be built as soon as possible.
He said Mindanao’s power demand has been growing by 4.3 percent annually and would require an additional 660 megawatts by 2017.
“With another Hedcor plant in Compostela Valley and the Sibulan plant (in Davao del Sur) in full operation, and the opposition to the Tamugan hydroproject finally resolved, everything will be falling into place,” Derla said.
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