SMC-Meralco consortium investing P99b in coal plant
By Alena Mae S. Flores – January 02, 2019 at 07:50 pm
from manilastandard.net
The joint venture of SMC Global Power Holding Corp. and Meralco PowerGen Corp. plans to spend P99 billion to put up a 1,200-megawatt coal project in Mariveles, Bataan.
Mariveles Power Generation Corp., the joint venture firm, said in an environmental impact statement submitted to the Environmental Management Bureau it would construct and operate the Mariveles Coal Power Plant project in two phases, each with a 600-MW capacity.
The proposed project will be built on a 150-hectare property within the Mariveles Economic Zone of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan in Barangay Biaan, Mariveles.The project is expected to use imported coal from Indonesia and locally available coal from Daguma and Semirara coal mining operations.
Daguma Agro Minerals Inc., a unit of San Miguel Corp., the parent firm of SMC Global Power, will supply the Daguma coal.
The coal project will start upon completion of all needed permits and other regulatory requirements. Completion is expected by 2022.
The MPGC as the proponent commits to provide overall policy and guidance with regards to the implementation of the project. MPGPC shall ensure that all necessary mitigating measures including budgets and agreements with other concerned national and local government agencies are included in all contracts to prevent and/or minimize the negative impacts of the project and enhance the project impacts,” the company said.
MPGC will supply 528 MW to Manila Electric Co. pending approval of a power supply agreement by the Energy Regulatory Commission. Hearings on the PSA were suspended previously because of the project’s lack of an environmental compliance certificate.
San Miguel has several power projects in the pipeline which also include hydro, solar and battery storage projects.
Meralco PowerGen, the power arm of Meralco, is waiting for approval of its PSA for the 1,200-MW Atimonan ultra supercritical coal project in Atimonan, Quezon.
Meralco PowerGen together with partner New Growth BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electricity Generating Public Co. Limited of Thailand, is set to complete the 455-MW San Buenaventura coal-fired power plant in Mauban, Quezon by September.
