Semirara Mining to engage in 3 coal allied undertakings

Semirara Island – Semirara Mining Corp. will engage in three coal allied undertakings this year, a ranking company official said here over the weekend.

Semirara president Isidro Consunji said they are currently exploring the possibility of producing coal briquettes, one of the best alternatives for the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or the cooking gas.

"This project will not only form part of our expansion program but also aims to help the government in looking for ways to ease up the pressures on rising LPG prices. Consumers will have alternative clean technology for cooking," Consunji said.

In a separate interview here, Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said the Department of Energy (DOE) is coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on the "experimental briquette".

"We are trying to identify the commercial part of this particular coal briquette business so we can extend the use of this to serve as a substitute for LPG," he said, adding that this technology has been developed by one of the subsidiaries of the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC), PNOC-Exploration Corp.

PNOC-EC first developed the coal briquette technology during the time of former Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui.

The state-owned firm was mandated to develop coal as an indigenous energy source. The project was conceived to preserve and protect the environment. The coal briquette was originally envisioned to replace fuelwood and charcoal and therefore, eliminate the need to cut trees.

But the energy chief said the state-owned power firm decided to lease its coal briquette business to a private entity.

Consunji, said they do not intend to compete with coal briquette retailers. "We intend to do it (coal briquette business) on a bulk basis," he said.

Aside from the coal briquette scheme, Semirara Mining also plans to produce hollow blocks using waste ash.

According to Consunji, the company is also looking at the feasibility of manufacturing clay bricks using waste coal.

Semirara Mining expects to increase its coal production this year to 4.5 million metric tons (MT) from 3.2 million MT in 2005 partly because of these new business ventures.

By the middle of the year, they also intend to put up more infrastructure within the Semirara Island including an ice plant which will be used by most of Island’s residents whose main livelihood is fishing.