Duterte backs coal plants

 President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines will continue to use coal in power generation but will implement new technologies to minimize emissions.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte leads the unveiling of the inaugural marker of the Filinvest
Development Corporation Misamis 405-MW coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis
 Oriental on September 22, 2016. KING RODRIGUEZ/PPD

“But for as long as the most viable fuel is coal and cheapest so that the power can also be delivered the energy to the people at a much lower price, then we’ll have no other alternative except to upgrade the technology to its fullest―to limit,” Duterte said during a  recent visit to Sarangani for the groundbreaking of another coal-fired-power plant.

The President said he sees nothing wrong with the government’s plan to put up new coal-fired power plants to boost power supply in the country.

“You open the Philippines for all power players, I guarantee you the electricity will become cheaper,” he pointed out.

 “At this time, whoever is the president of the Philippines would always contend with coal. There’s so much coal still that can be utilized by civilization for the next 50 to 70 years. And to be worrying about pollution, well, we just have to come to terms with that in our time, in our generation, it is really what it is. There is nothing you can do about it,” Duterte said.

The government last year approved the construction of 25 new coal-fired power plants, according to Sen. Loren Legarda.

The President said  in January that building more coal-fired power plants is necessary to meet the nation’s growing energy needs. 

These pronouncements of President Duterte delighted resident and officials of the municipality of Sual led by Mayor Roberto Arcinue following a report that a multi-national company is keen on putting up another coal-fired-power plant in their town that is capable of producing 1,000 megawatts.

The company, the report said, will be using ultra-supercritical combustion technology that greatly reduces pollution, as prescribed by the President.

In welcoming the entry of another power plant in their locality, Mayor Arcinue said this would mean hundreds of jobs for the residents and millions of pesos of additional revenues for the municipality. (PRESS RELEASE)