Taiwanese firms say coal-fired power plants not dirty

TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan – While the Philippines continues with its love-hate relationship with coal-fired power generation, Taiwan-based Formosa Heavy Industries Corp. (FHIC) is urging Filipinos to permanently remove its murky perception of coal-fired power facilities given current advances in clean coal technology.

In a press briefing with reporters, FHIC Philippines Business Development Head Jovy Y. Manrique said coal-fired power plants can live in harmony with host communities as have been proven for years in Taiwan.

Two coal-fired power facilities built by FHIC here, the Hwa-Ya and Zin Shin power generation facilities, are located right in the center of a bustling metropolis.

The Hwa-Ya facility is located in a silicon wafer manufacturing zone while the Zin-Shin power plant is situated at the back of a shopping mall.

“These facilities validate our belief that there can be harmony between power plants and the community,” Manrique said.

“The factories beside the Hwa Ya facility actually require a clean and sterile environment to operate in to make sure their products meet international standards. They cannot afford to have nearby installations affecting operations whilst it is but natural for the shopping mall owner beside Zin Shin to demand a pollution-free environment,” he said.

Manrique said the Taiwan government monitors the operation of all their plants by having direct access to their computerized control panels to ensure that the plants do not exceed the required standard for emission levels.

The local FHIC official said that the “misunderstood” clean coal technology remains a very viable solution to the country’s energy problems.

“We hope that the advances made in Taiwan in as far as the power industry is concerned will also be enjoyed in the Philippines,” Manrique said.

Looking at the Philippine’s current power situation, he said there are still plenty of opportunities in the Philippine power sector given the country’s growing economy that will require more electricity.

FHIC reported that Taiwan to date has an installed capacity of 48,000 megawatts (MW) with a population of about 23 million. The Philippines, meanwhile, only has about 17,000 MW of installed capacity being used by some 100 million Filipinos.

As the country’s primary energy source, coal accounts for about 34 percent of the Philippines’ power generation mix.

Recent controversies regarding the acceptability and environmental impact of coal-fired power plants, however, have delayed construction of some much-needed power projects, Manrique said.

Manrique cited the 600-MW Subic coal project of Redondo Peninsula Energy (RP Energy), a power plant which was supposed to go online next year in time to address the anticipated supply shortfall in Luzon but has been stalled pending the resolution of a Writ of Kalikasan issued by the Supreme Court.

The Subic coal project is being undertaken by Meralco PowerGen Corp, Aboitiz Power Corp and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. FHIC was formerly involved in the project.

“It could have plugged the reported 500-MW deficiency forecasted by the Department of Energy,” Manrique said.

Aside from its projects in Taiwan, FHIC serves as the technical partner for engineering, procurement and construction of coal-fired power projects in the country by San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the Metrobank Group, and Aboitiz Power Corp. 

The term clean coal has been utilized by developers over the past few years in a bid to win the acceptance communities and environmental groups. Through clean coal technology, coal-fired facilities minimize the adverse effects of coal on the environment by mitigating carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases through proper management, handling and disposal of waste and coal ash.