Clean coal to supply over 1,800 megawatts of power – DOE

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) said it expects more than 1,800 megawatts (MW) of additional power to be generated from clean coal power plants in the near term.

In its 2009 investment kit, the DOE said the country requires a total power capacity addition of 4,100 MW. The Luzon grid, it will need a cumulative capacity of 3,000 MW; the Visayas grid, 500 MW; while the Mindanao grid will require 600 MW in additional capacity.

Since the government is prohibited to enter into new power contracts, it has encouraged the private sector to build up 1,020 MW additional capacities until 2011 of which 900 MW will come from coal-fired facilities.

Of the 900 MW committed coal-fired power projects, the 600-MW Bataan coal-fired facility will be put up in Luzon by GN Power and will go on stream by 2011.

The remaining 200 MW will be built by Korea Electric Power Co. (Kepco)/SPC Power Corp. in Cebu and will be completed in 2011; and the 100-MW coal-fired power plant project by DMCI Power Corp. in Iloilo expected to be available in 2011.

The DOE said the remaining capacity requirements offer vast opportunities in the generation business for private sector investment.

Indicative power projects in Luzon, the DOE said, include the 50-MW clean fluidized bed (CFB) coal power plant of Asia Pacific Energy Corp. (APEC) in Pampanga which is expected to be completed in 2010; and the 300-MW coal-fired power plant facility in Subic to be undertaken by Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. which has a scheduled completion date of 2012.

In the Visayas, the indicative coal power projects include the 164-MW GBPC coal fired plant (Panay Power Corp.) in Iloilo which will be constructed by the Global Business Power Corp. of the Metrobank Group. This is expected to come on stream by 2011.

For Mindanao, the DOE is expecting two committed projects, namely: the 200 MW CFB coal fired power plant in Southern Mindanao to be built by Conal Holdings Corp. and the 200-MW Sultan Kudarat to be constructed by MG Mining and Energy Corp. and will go on commercial operations by 2012.

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes earlier lauded the development of clean coal technologies in the country which will boost the utilization of local indigenous coals.

Reyes noted that the development of so-called circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) technologies forms part of key investment opportunities in the coal sector.

The energy chief said these clean coal technologies would not only boost local coal production, it would also ensure security of supply of power in the country with minimal adverse effects on the environment.

To date, the country’s undeveloped coal resources potential is estimated at 2.53 billion metric tons.

It would be noted that pulverized coal, also known as conventional coal technology, is one of the most widely used power generation technologies worldwide.

With the availability of this new coal technology, most new coal-fired power plants are already adopting CFBC.

The CFBC uses a unique process to capture the sulfur dioxide gas produced when fuel is burned. In addition to the fuel, fine-grained limestone is fed into the furnace. The limestone reacts with the sulfur dioxide gas to form gypsum, the same material used in wallboard.

CFBC technology has major benefits to the environment. Because a CFB operates at lower temperature than other types of power plants burning solid fuels, nitrogen oxide emissions are lower. The use of limestone to capture sulfur dioxide, combined with the filters to remove fine particles from the exhaust air, make a CFBC one of the cleanest ways to burn waste coal and other solid fuels.

CFBC units have operated with high reliability in the United States and worldwide for more than 20 years. –Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star)