Groundbreaking for GBPC coal-fired power plant held
Groundbreaking rites for a coal-fired power plant project was held on Saturday amid continued opposition from church and environmental groups.
Officials led by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., Iloilo Rep. Gonzalez Jr. and Mayor Jerry Treñas joined the rites at the project site in Barangay Ingore in La Paz District.
It was also attended by officials of the project proponents, the Panay Power Corp. (PPC) and the Metrobank subsidiary Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC), Energy Regulatory Commission and other government agencies.
Secretary Gonzalez welcomed the start of the project saying this would help stabilize the energy supply of Iloilo and put a stop to frequent power outages.
"I'm happy that this will finally start. Hopefully this will ensure our stable power supply," Gonzalez said in a telephone interview.
Gonzalez said the project has been delayed by the opposition of some groups.
"This should not be an emotional issue. We should look at the greatest good of the greatest majority," he said.
Treñas said when the 164-megawatt coal plant is completed, this will provide additional energy baseload that will lower power rates.
"This will surely boost businesses and investments here because of a stable and cheaper power source," he said.
PPC public relations consultant Lemuel Fernandez said the construction will start soon after the groundbreaking rites in order to meet their target completion of 2010.
PPC and GBPC will build the coal plant inside the PPC's 40-hectare property in Barangay Ingore.
The project is among the long-time measures being pushed to address the power supply problem of Iloilo and Panay Island.
Most local officials and business groups support the project. It has also been endorsed officials of Barangay Ingore along with Association of Barangay Captains of the city.
But the project has encountered opposition from religious and environmental groups over fears of health hazards and environmental pollution. Coal plant opponents insist that coal plants are among major contributors to global warming which is blamed for massive flooding, more intense storms and droughts and other extreme weather conditions.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Sept. 1 issued the ECC to the PPC for the construction of the coal-fired power plant.
DENR Secretary Jose "Lito" Atienza Jr. earlier said that the department will closely monitor the construction of the coal plant to ensure that it meets the 14 conditions stipulated in the ECC. These include the putting up of a Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) which records in real time data on emission from the plants. The information should be made available to the public through an information board
Atienza said they will ensure that the proponents deliver on their assurances that they will be using "clean technology" in the plant.
But Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Angel Lagdameo has scored the granting of the ECC..
Lagdameo said in a news release posted on the CBCP website and also released by the Jaro Archdiocese on Friday raised concern over the putting up of the plant.
"It's really saddening because people here (in Iloilo) are really against it," he said.
The prelate said they also want additional power supply but this should be "clean power."
He said it is hard for them to understand why the government is pushing the project "that has long been proven to be environmentally risky."
He also said it also contradicts the government's campaign for renewable energy.
"There is no such thing as clean coal fired power plant especially here (in our country) where the process of giving approval (by the authorities) is often questionable," the archbishop said.