Lopez geothermal firm says it won’t exceed limits of its site

BACOLOD CITY—The Energy Development Corp. (EDC) sought to give assurances that it would not go beyond its assigned site in Mt. Kanlaon to develop geothermal energy.

Noel D. Salonga, EDC assistant vice president for resource management, said the 12.5 hectares assigned to EDC outside a so-called buffer zone in Mt. Kanlaon was “sufficient to access geothermal reservoir given current technology.” The site assigned to EDC is in Barangay Mailum, Bago City.

EDC earlier scheduled a temporary shutdown of its plant in July for further resource study. The plant has a production capacity of 40 megawatts but it was only producing 8 to 9 MW.

The announcement of a shutdown prompted accusations from Church and environment groups that EDC would conduct geothermal exploration beyond its assigned site and try to enter the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park.

Dwight A. Maxino, EDC vice president for Southern and Northern Negros Geothermal, said EDC has replanted 400 ha inside the park even if it only used 12.5 ha.

EDC has planted trees in at least 900 ha of forests in Negros Occidental from 1995-2010 and would reforest another 420 ha in Sipalay City and in the towns of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental in the next five years, Maxino said.

The reforestation program, he said, is in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Negros Forest Ecological Foundation Inc.