Mirant Global eyeing coal-fired power plant in city?
Mirant Global Corporation which operates the 72-megawatt diesel power plant in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz reportedly offered to operate a coal-fired power plant in the city.
A reliable source told The News Today that Mirant Global was the first to show interest of putting up a coal-fired power plant in the city following the concerns raised by City Mayor Jerry Treñas regarding the need to have a stable power supply.
The same source said Mirant Global is even inviting the city officials to visit their existing coal-fired power plant in Thailand.
The inclusion of Punong Barangay Wilfredo Jurilla of Brgy. San Isidro, La Paz as a member of the task force created to evaluate the proposal for the establishment of a coal-fired power plant even raised speculations over the interest of Mirant Global on the coal-fired power plant project.
Jurilla is the only barangay captain included in the task force headed by City Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Engr. Noel Hechanova.
The other members of the task force are City Planning and Development Officer Jose Roni Peñalosa; City Health Officer Urminico Baronda; Health Specialist II Dr. Andres Dolar; Land Transportation Office Assistant Regional Director Eric Tabaldo who represents the Metro Iloilo Air Shed and Engr. Samson Guillergan, Ph.D., chief of Pollution and Control Division of the Environment Management Bureau VI.
Engr. Felix Ojario, PIO of the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines in Visayas; Ms. Jonifer Sinugaya, associate professor of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas ; Leah Lara, executive director of the Iloilo Business Club and Rev. Fr. Esperidion Celiz, parish priest of Mandurriao Parish, also composed the task force.
Treñas earlier expressed the need of having other sources of energy for the city in the wake of frequent power interruptions caused by the lack of power supply from the present sources.
At present, the city's sole power distributor, Panay Electric Company (Peco) gets bulk of its power needs from the Mirant-Panay Power Corporation.
An interconnection between Peco and National Power Corporation (NPC) was recently undertaken for the former to get its additional power needs from the latter.
Mirant-PPC earlier expressed that it could no longer meet the rising power demands of Peco.