MMT members to closely monitor re-testing
Members of the Multipartite Monitoring Team of the Panay Energy Development Corp. coal-fired power plant in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City vowed to closely watch the re-testing of the 164-megawatt plant after the PEDC failed to identify the source of the foul smell that downed several residents more than two weeks ago.
Councilor David Jamora, chairman of the City Council committee on public services, environmental protection and ecology, said in an interview third party experts should be present round-the-clock to monitor the re-testing.
Fr. Esperidion Celis, an MMT member, also assured the public he will be vigilant in the activities of the coal-fired power plant.
The MMT members, Global Business Power Corp. representatives and city officials led by Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog met last Friday where it was revealed that PEDC investigation could not still ascertain where the odor came from.
“The coal plant has done everything in its capacity to look for the source (of the foul smell) but they could not find it,” Mabilog said.
However, Mabilog said there was an apparent failure on the PEDC to advise the public and the MMT that they are going to conduct a test fire.
Henry Alcalde, PEDC vice president for Panay operations, said on Friday they are willing to conduct a re-testing.
“We would do the re-test at exactly at the same plant, using the same diesel fuel that we have used and using the same process,” he said.
Lemuel Fernandez, GBPC public relations consultant, said the re-test will be conducted on October 11.
The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources will deploy experts to monitor the re-testing.
“They might come from Manila. We want to establish the integrity of this re-testing,” Fernandez said, adding that as far as PEDC is concerned, there is no admission or denial if the plant’s test firing and steam blowing were the sources of foul odor.
PEDC has contracted Taiwan-based Formosa Heavy Industries Inc. to construct the plant.
Fernandez said that if during the simulation test, a foul odor will again be smelled, they would immediately shut down the plant and do necessary mitigating measures.
If during the re-testing, no foul odor will come out, they would go on with the construction, he said.
“We are running against time. We don’t want to further delay the plant’s scheduled operation,” Fernandez said.
Earlier, PEDC targeted October 1 as the schedule of the commissioning of the plant’s first 82-MW unit.
With the delay, PEDC aims that the commercial operation of the plant’s first unit will start before the year ends.
By January next year, the plant’s second unit might be able to conduct its commissioning and commercial operation, the PEDC said.*
