Meralco awaits approval for 2 coal plants

By Lisbet K. Esmael – 02:20 AM November 28, 2024
from inquirer.net / Philippine Daily Inquirer

Singapore—Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), the power generation unit of Meralco., seeks to bolster its baseload portfolio by 1,280 megawatts (MW) with two coal plants awaiting the government’s green light.

Coal plants are usually used as baseload, or the minimum power that needs to be injected into the grid at any given time, as they are the technology that can deliver the cheapest power around the clock. MGen’s baseload capacity is currently at 1,395 MW.

In a chat with reporters, Emmanuel Rubio, president of MGen, said he learned the Department of Energy (DOE) was leaning toward giving them certificates of exception from the coal ban.

The DOE had imposed a moratorium on new coal plants to control the country’s carbon emissions and support the government’s push to shift to clean energy.

No total ban

In July, the DOE clarified there was no total ban, which meant that existing and operational facilities that have made commitments for expansion may proceed.