Treñas sees DENR approval of coal-fired power plant project
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for taking action on the application for environmental compliance certificate (ECC) of the Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC) to put up a 164-mw coal fired power plant here.
Secretary Jose L. Atienza during his visit here Friday committed to sign the approval of the ECC upon his return to Manila.
The mayor said he was pleased with the action as he hoped that the plant will become operational in 2010 when the city is projected to experience power shortage.
"This will mean that we will have sustainable power and not only sustainable power but power with reasonable cost," he said. "We have one of the highest power rates at P12.96 per kilowatt-hour."
In a survey on competitiveness conducted by the Asian Institute for Management (AIM), Iloilo City was cited as one of the cities where the cost of doing business is very high.
Earlier, the task force created by the city to study the advantages and disadvantages of the establishment of a coal-fired power plant in the city endorsed the project.
Task Force on Coal-Fired Power Plant unanimously approved and recommended for the establishment of a coal-fired plant here to address the city's deficiency in power.
Environmental and church groups had been opposing the establishment of coal-fired power plant claiming that it is detrimental to the health of the people in the city and would destroy the environment.
Meanwhile, Treñas was also informed that the documents for the 15 modular generator sets which will be detailed in Iloilo City will soon be signed by the National Power Corporation.
The 15 units of generator set will augment the power need of the city as demand continues to increase.
"It will be delivered to Iloilo City and will only serve city clients," he said. (PNA)