Business World Online
Posted on March 22, 2011 09:46:25 PM
DAVAO CITY -- Aboitiz Power Corp.’s planned $500-million coal plant in this city has been met with protests from residents despite the company’s efforts to explain design features claimed to ensure environmentally friendly operations.
A planned 300-megawatt coal plant of Aboitiz Power Corp. has been met with protests from residents in Davao City, the host site.
A petition against the 300-megawatt (MW) project was filed with the city council this month on the basis of “precautionary principle” after Aboitiz Power conducted consultations in February, referred to as ‘public scoping,’ for residents of Binugao, a barangay of this city, and Inawayan in Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur.
The plant, Aboitiz Power said, will be set up in a 51-hectare site within the boundary of Davao City and Davao del Sur.
“We call the event successful because the residents were able to ask questions and raise their concerns to us about the project,” said Manuel M. Orig, Aboitiz Power’s first vice-president for Mindanao.
The activity, he said, was part of the efforts of the company to be as transparent in its activities.
“We want the residents of the host community to be our partners in this project,” Mr. Orig said.
Earlier this month, however, residents of Binugao trooped to the city council to submit a petition before Vice-Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte noting their opposition to the coal plant. They were joined in by the ‘No to Coal Davao’ group and other civil society groups.
Jean Suzanne A. Lindo, convenor of No to Coal Davao, said the petition states that “if any evidence of harm has been established, especially with extractive and environmentally critical projects such as coal, then we should do all that is necessary to prevent it.”
The clash comes in the wake of power blackouts in Mindanao last year as low levels of rainfall crippled the operations of hydropower plants that served a bulk of the power requirements. The Energy department since then has announced the need for more alternative investments for power generation.
Mr. Orig said aside from residents and members of environmental groups, those who attended the consultation were Sta. Cruz Mayor Joel Ray L. Lopez and Rufino C. Bandialan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region Environmental Impact Assessment Division chief.
In answering the questions of the residents, Mr. Orig said the project would use “modern clean coal technology that will significantly reduce emissions.” He added that power plant will be located by the sea, “downstream from water sources and will only use excess water from agriculture, domestic and water district use.”
The company will also sell its coal ash to cement factories, while the excess ash will be stored in a pond that would be lined with clay and plastic, he added. Village chiefs of the two areas said the event provided an opportunity to members of their respective communities to have answers to questions that would make them understand the project.
Even when its plan to build a coal-fired power plant is still being discussed at the city council for endorsement, the company already announced it is expanding its 200-MW fire power to 300 MW, from the original 200-MW plan.
In its announcement, the company said the proposal, already approved for first reading at the city council, is expanding the fluidized-bed plant in anticipation for future power demand on the island.
“The expanded capacity will provide a comfortable power reserve for Mindanao which is ideal for its long-term security and reliability,” said Mr. Orig.
The company has already leased the project site with the option of buying it once the power project is officially approved.
The company has continually assured the public that its proposed power plant will use modern technology and will meet the standards set by the Philippine government on health and safety to minimize its impact on both the people and the environment.
“There are coal-fired power plants existing in the Philippines and in Mindanao there is the Steag State Power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. These facilities have continued to meet the standards and so far no recorded incident that negatively affected the health and livelihood of the communities around it,” Mr. Orig said. -- Carmelito Q. Francisco and Joel B. Escovilla
The plant, Aboitiz Power said, will be set up in a 51-hectare site within the boundary of Davao City and Davao del Sur.
“We call the event successful because the residents were able to ask questions and raise their concerns to us about the project,” said Manuel M. Orig, Aboitiz Power’s first vice-president for Mindanao.
The activity, he said, was part of the efforts of the company to be as transparent in its activities.
“We want the residents of the host community to be our partners in this project,” Mr. Orig said.
Earlier this month, however, residents of Binugao trooped to the city council to submit a petition before Vice-Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte noting their opposition to the coal plant. They were joined in by the ‘No to Coal Davao’ group and other civil society groups.
Jean Suzanne A. Lindo, convenor of No to Coal Davao, said the petition states that “if any evidence of harm has been established, especially with extractive and environmentally critical projects such as coal, then we should do all that is necessary to prevent it.”
The clash comes in the wake of power blackouts in Mindanao last year as low levels of rainfall crippled the operations of hydropower plants that served a bulk of the power requirements. The Energy department since then has announced the need for more alternative investments for power generation.
Mr. Orig said aside from residents and members of environmental groups, those who attended the consultation were Sta. Cruz Mayor Joel Ray L. Lopez and Rufino C. Bandialan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region Environmental Impact Assessment Division chief.
In answering the questions of the residents, Mr. Orig said the project would use “modern clean coal technology that will significantly reduce emissions.” He added that power plant will be located by the sea, “downstream from water sources and will only use excess water from agriculture, domestic and water district use.”
The company will also sell its coal ash to cement factories, while the excess ash will be stored in a pond that would be lined with clay and plastic, he added. Village chiefs of the two areas said the event provided an opportunity to members of their respective communities to have answers to questions that would make them understand the project.
Even when its plan to build a coal-fired power plant is still being discussed at the city council for endorsement, the company already announced it is expanding its 200-MW fire power to 300 MW, from the original 200-MW plan.
In its announcement, the company said the proposal, already approved for first reading at the city council, is expanding the fluidized-bed plant in anticipation for future power demand on the island.
“The expanded capacity will provide a comfortable power reserve for Mindanao which is ideal for its long-term security and reliability,” said Mr. Orig.
The company has already leased the project site with the option of buying it once the power project is officially approved.
The company has continually assured the public that its proposed power plant will use modern technology and will meet the standards set by the Philippine government on health and safety to minimize its impact on both the people and the environment.
“There are coal-fired power plants existing in the Philippines and in Mindanao there is the Steag State Power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. These facilities have continued to meet the standards and so far no recorded incident that negatively affected the health and livelihood of the communities around it,” Mr. Orig said. -- Carmelito Q. Francisco and Joel B. Escovilla
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