Upgraded power plants to cut carbon
by Alena Mae S. Flores – June 07, 2017 at 07:52 pm
from Manila Standard Today
Technology provider GE said the Philippines could achieve $10 billion in savings over a 25-year plant lifecycle and an estimated 16 million tons in carbon dioxide reduction annually if it maximizes the efficiency of existing and new power generation plants.
According to GE research, carbon emissions from existing coal and gas power plants could be cut by as much as 10 percent with digital upgrades. This is particularly relevant to the Philippines, which relies on coal for 42 percent of its electricity needs.
“As the Philippines continues to invest in renewables, it is important to review existing power sources like coal which are abundant and low-cost. Ultra-supercritical steam power technologies and digital applications are available to help lower carbon emissions, and make coal, and gas plants, more efficient,” GE Philippines chief operating officer Jose Victor Emmanuel de Dios said.
De Dios said the Philippines was at a crossroads in energy sector development and was undergoing an unprecedented transformation and access to affordable and reliable energy was becoming increasingly challenging.
“Adopting the latest technologies will be critical in transforming the future of our energy landscape. If we enhance our energy assets and networks by deploying the most efficient gas turbines, ultra-super critical coal technology, as well as upgrading existing plants and transmission and distribution networks, the country can achieve energy efficiency, reliability and sustainability,” De Dios said.
