P13B coal power plant eyed for Negros Occ

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A prominent power generator in the Visayas is interested to build a coal-fired power plant in Negros Occidental this year, with an estimated cost of around P13 billion and an expected production of at least 80 megawatts.

Global Business Power Corporation (GBPC) has been scouting for an ideal site for a coal-fired power plant in Negros Occidental for several months already, its president Arthur Aguilar said at a press conference in Iloilo Thursday.

"We will put up the (coal-fired power) plant preferably within the coverage areas of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO)," he said, pointing out the preferred potential site would be in the northwestern side of Negros Occidental.

GBPC, a member of the Metrobank Group of Companies, also owns and operates the Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) and the Cebu Energy Development Corporation (CEDC).

GBPC senior vice president for finance Jaime Azurin said at the press conference that their proposed coal plant in Negros Occidental is expected to be completed in three years time or in 2014, when the province is projected to experience another power crisis because of economic growth and expanded demand for power.

Aguilar said the choice of site in Negros would mean lowering the transmission cost at an average of P1 per kilowatt-hour for Negros Occidental electric consumers.

He said a coal-powered plant in Negros would be an advantage for the power consumers as they would only pay less for the transmission.

Negros Occidental is dependent on the excess power from PEDC and CEDC, and this year Negros has a power deficit of 54.10 MW, while Panay has 91.40 MW in excess power and Cebu with 74.34 MW excess power, Aguilar said.

Aguilar further said that all electric cooperatives in the province- the V-M-C Rural Electric Service Cooperative (VRESCO), CENECO and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO)- are all interested in the GBPC coal-fired power plant to be constructed here.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. earlier said he is in favor of the putting up a coal-fired power plant in Negros Occidental.