Group bats for 2nd power plant to check looming power crisis

SUAL, Pangasinan- A development-oriented group are pushing hard for the construction of a second power plant here to prevent another looming energy crisis similar to what occurred in the late ‘80s.

            Calling themselves Sual Pro-Progress, the group composed of student leaders, professionals, womenfolk, farmers and fisherfolk, cited the frequent power interruptions taking place in various parts of Pangasinan and nationwide as “symptomatic of an impending power crisis that could cripple our economy.”

            They pointed out that another obvious indication was the recent pronouncement of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) that residents in Luzon may have to deal with power outages during the dry season because of a “very tight” power supply.

            ERC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Agnes Devanadera told reporters last week that the region might start feeling the pinch in March or early April.

                Luzon will need from 1,899 to 1,900 megawatts to address the situation, thus, the group urged the government to fast-track the construction of another coal-fired power plant in Sual as proposed by the Korean Electric Power Corporation or KEPCO.

            Sual Pro-progress also feared that some of the power plants located in Batangas may have been affected by the eruption of the Taal Volcano, further aggravating the situation. Presently, there are eight active power plants located in various places in Batangas, including four 150-megawatt coal plants in Barangay PinamucanIbaba.

                                                Second power plant

            Sual officials led by Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay and KEPCO executives have been holding talks for the construction of a second coal-fired power plant in Sual for which the latter is prepared to invest around $2 billion.

            A series of public hearings are lined up to ascertain the general view and sentiments of the residents about the project. As initially agreed, Sual town would be assured of continuous and cheaper power supply from the proposed power plant.

            The power plant has a generating capacity of 1,000 megawatts which could considerable help in stabilizing power supply in the Luzon grid.

            In supporting the project, Sual Pro-progress said the project would definitely create thousands of jobs for local residents aside from  the roughly P800 million in real property and business taxes that could be generated from the proposed power plant.

            They said that there should be no problem about pollution because the project proponent would be using the latest power generation technology calledultra-super critical coal-fired power plant which at present is considered as a “High Efficiency Low Emission (HELE) Technology” and as a “green technology”.

Its high efficiency can reach of up to 45% which substantially cut its GHG emission by 30% compared to its predecessors or older coal fired power plants having efficiencies as low as 33% only.

Sual hosts the 1,218-megawatt coal-fired power plant being operated by Team Energy. The revenues generated from the coal plant enabled Sual to become a first class municipality from its fifth class status. The municipality, for the past two years, has been the country’s second richest municipality in terms of infrastructure and other hard assets.

           

Sual is a favorite destination of big-ticket investors in Pangasinan because of its unique deep and wide waters ideal for the establishment of an international seaport which is being worked out by the administration of Mayor Calugay.(P.R News)