Do you want rotating brownouts in Cebu to return?
President Benigno Aquino III raised this scenario to ecology crusaders after switching on the second unit of the 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant of the Korean Power Electric Corp.-Salcon Power Corp. (Kepco-SPC) in Naga City yesterday.
“We have to balance this,” he said in Pilipino.
“In the simplest terms, what problem do we want to deal with – unstable power supply or the coal dust issue? The problem of coal dust has a solution. There are ways to mitigate it unlike a power shortage. What can you really do with that?” Aquino asked.
The President posed the challenge to ecology groups opposing the newly inaugurated coal plant project in barangay Colon, Naga City.
As long as the plant complies with government standards, it should operate, said Aquino.
“The power plant we inaugurate today complies with the Clean Air Act and is very friendly to the environment,” Aquino said in his speech.
He later told reporters that “having no electricity would be a more difficult problem to solve.”
The President noted that Cebu’s power demand has increased by 7 percent, almost double the national average increase of 4 percent
The plant, partly funded by a $120 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit in the environment court in Mandaue City, where the judge yesterday decided to inspect again Kepco’s proposed coal ash waste facility in barangay Tina-an, Naga City.
Last March 16, the judge ordered all coal-fired plants in Naga and Toledo cities not to dump their ash waste outside their premises.
The indiscriminate dumping of tons of coal ash waste in various sites in Naga and Toledo by unnamed parties was confirmed by the judge, who extended the life of a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO).
Kepco’s ash disposal site is located in the 24.7 hectare Balili property, whose purchase by the Province of Cebu is also the subject of a graft investigation in the Ombudsman’s Office.
The provincial government will be paid $1 per ton of ash dumped there, an acitivity which ecology group warn poses a big risk of toxic wastes and air pollution.
An Environmental Compliance Certificate was issued for the site.
The power plant was inaugurated by President Aquino, who said the plant will help sustain Cebu’s economic growth by providing surplus power and a sizable energy reserve that will cover energy demands for the next few years.
He arrived by helicopeter in Naga with Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong for the switch-on of the second 100-MW unit of the plant.
He was later joined by Energy Secretary Rene Almendras, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Rep. Eduardo Gullas of Cebu’s 1st district and Kepco-SPC officials led by CEO Ssang-Su Kim and Kepco-SPC President Bok-Yull Lee.
In a press conference later, Aquino said there was nothing to protest since the project followed processes and standards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“There was an injunction but this is a solvable problem and the plant complies with the provisions of the Clean Air Act,” the president said.
The bigger problem, Aquino said, lies with having no reliable power supply and no employment for Cebuanos.
“The hardship to be experienced by Cebuanos due to lack of power if not resolved immediately, that’s the bigger issue,” the president said.
“It takes two to three years to build a plant this size. Would you rather have two to three years of rotating brownouts especially in summer? I don’t think anybody would want that,” he said.
Central Visayas enjoys a surplus of 200 MW due to the operation of several plants, including Kepco-SPC plant’s first 100-MW unit.
“This is welcome news compared to last year’s power situation where we had a negative energy reserve,” said Antonio Labios, DOE regional director.
In his welcome address, Kepco-Korea president Ssang-su Kim said the plant would create jobs and draw investments for the local economy.
“We will continue to operate our power plant in coordination with the local government,” Kim said in his address.
Some residents held a rally in support of the coal plant and held up rice sack-streamers with the words “Salamat sa power plant”. There were no protestors in sight.
Aquino went out of his way and shook hands with the residents.
Construction of the plant faced protests from ecology groups who warned about the pollution caused by coal dust.
It received support from the business sector which complained about the recurring brownouts in Cebu.
Work on the plant began in February 2008. The first 100-MW unit started commercial operations last Feb. 28. The second 100-MW unit started last May 31. /Carmel Loise Matus and Candeze R. Mongaya