MONDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2011 20:22 BONG D. FABE / CORRESPONDENT
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC) yesterday said it is seriously considering using seawater for its proposed 300-megawatt fluidized bed coal-fired power plant project in southern Davao so as not to disturb fresh water sources in the area.
Like pouring cold water over the opposition’s claim that APC’s proposed power-plant project will compete with residents over the use of fresh water, the APC said the proposed plant will be located at the tail end of the area’s freshwater sources and very near the sea. Thus, it will not impact the area’s freshwater sources.
Instead of using fresh water, the proposed plant will be using desalinated water, which is now being studied by APC’s technical experts.
“The desalinated water will supplement our water needs without seriously affecting the freshwater sources in the area,” said Tommy Sliman, APC vice president for business development.
“This is part of Aboitiz Power’s commitment to being a socially-responsible company. We want to be part of the communities where we are present,” he added.
Sliman said the company’s technical experts are doing soil-bearing tests on a 51-hectare property in Binugao, Toril, Davao City and Inawayan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
He admitted that using desalinated water will be a bit costly.
“This will cost us a little bit more, but we are willing to do it. We do not want to disturb our neighbors and their use of the water in the area,” he said.
To make this feasible, APC will also set up a desalination facility near the proposed power plant.
This will take seawater from the Davao Gulf and shoot it at high pressure through thick membranes to take impurities and salt out of the water.
The result is pure fresh-water that can be used for the power plant.
Sliman explained that the operation of the power plant is like boiling water in a kettle. Coal is used to boil water at high temperature and high pressure in order to create steam. Steam will, in turn, propel the turbine that will operate the generator to create electricity.
The steam is then cooled by another set of water, to bring it back to liquid form again. The same water is reused and boiled to create steam again. Excess water will be used to water plants or to flush toilets in the plant. More excess water will be discharged after passing through a water-treatment plant.
“We will just heat the water a little bit, cool it and return it to the sea,” he said.
APC first vice president for Mindanao Affairs Manuel “Bobby” Orig said there is a need for new power plants in Mindanao because of the growing demand for electricity in the island brought about by its fast economic growth.
Mindanao’s power deficit has been projected to go to as high as 484 megawatts by 2014.
Orig also reiterated APC’s call to diversify Mindanao’s power sources to avoid widespread brownouts in the island like what happened in 2010 due to the very low water level in the National Power Corp’s hydropower-plant dams in Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon.
He said Mindanao can no longer afford to be dependent on hydropower plants because when there is drought, the whole island goes into a power crisis.
It is now high time for Mindanao to diversify its power sources to ensure a reliable, safe and affordable power for all, Orig said.
“We need to create a right mix of energy sources so that when we experience long droughts, Mindanao will have reliable and affordable power to propel its growth,” he added.
Orig, however, said that APC’s fluidized bed coal-fired power plant will not replace but augment the island’s hydropower plants.
No comments:
Post a Comment