Semirara discards liquid coal

Posted June 14th, 2012 by Alena Mae S. Flores

Semirara Mining Corp., the country’s largest coal miner, is no longer interested in the coal-to-liquid technology as a new business.

Semirara chief executive Isidro Consunji said the company looked at the possibility of using coal-to-liquid technology or coal liquefaction, but found it expensive. The technology coverts coal into a liquid fuel that can be an alternative to oil.

“Yes [we looked at it] but it is not cost effective to us,” Consunji said.

Semirara, which operates a coal mine in Antique, continues to be the biggest coal producer in the country, producing 7.19 million metric tons in 2011. Semirara produces low rank coal.

Semirara’s coal output accounted for 94.5 percent of the national production of 7.6 million metric tons, according to data from the Energy Department.

Semirara also exported 2.68 million MT of coal to China and 54,754 MT to Thailand in 2011.

The Energy Department earlier said local coals that are of high quality could be used without the need for any coal preparation or blending with imported coals.

Among these coals are deposits being mined in Malangas by the Philippine National Oil Co. in Southern Cebu by Ibalong Resources and Development Corp. and in Batan Island by Rock Energy International Corp.

It said the coal deposits in Catanduanes Island and the coal areas in Gen. Nakar, Quezon are also of good quality.

Local firm H&WB Corp. is the project proponent and developer of the first and only coal hybrid liquefaction plant being developed in the Philippines.

The plant, which is still under development, will produce 60,000 barrels per day of liquid fuels. The plant is supposed to utilize low-rank coal in Mindanao.

(Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper on /2012/June/14)    source