From the Philippine Daily Inquirer today, GenSan News Online Mag found out that San Miguel Corporation is hell-bent of pursuing its initial plan to build a coal-fired power plant in General Santos City with the acquisition of more coal mines in the Soccskargen area.
The report, written by Amy Remo says that according the SMC President Ramon S. Ang, “the company was targeting to begin this year the construction of some of its proposed coal-fired facilities in Mindanao.”
The report continues:
In particular, Ang explained, the company would already start studying the logistics and infrastructure requirements for these coal facilities.Ang said the company planned to initially put up a 300-MW mine-mouth coal power plant in General Santos City following the acquisition of a coal mine in the province. A 300-MW coal facility would need about 750,000 tons of coal a year.
Although he did not reveal San Miguel’s planned investment in the facility, Ang said the conglomerate would invest as much as $1 million to produce one megawatt of power from coal resources. This meant that for the initial 300-MW project, San Miguel would need to invest some $300 million or roughly P13.5 billion.
San Miguel acquired last year three coal mines in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat with resources capable of generating an initial 1,200 MW. These were previously owned by Daguma Agro Minerals Inc., Bonanza Energy Resources Inc. and Sultan Energy Mining and Development Corp.
Whoa! $300 million is definitely a huge investment for GenSan and could hasten its entry into the major league of prosperous cities in the country alongside Makati, Davao, and Cebu!
It could also alleviate the worsening power crisis besetting the island of Mindanao alongside the proposed Alcantara-owned plant being pushed in Sarangani province.
The problem is, would the people of General Santos City allow it, considering the opposition of some quarters regarding its safety and effects on the ecological balance of Sarangani Bay?
What are your thoughts, dear readers?
This is really a great interesting for our beloved General Santos City.. However, I agree to the suggestions of a deeper look of prevailing pros and cons of this project to our beloved city.. we cannot deny that we are excited for quiet a huge investment like this one into our city but we cant deny also that we are much concerned with the future and overall outcome within our city’s development without sacrificing our environment.. thats what the real essence of magandang gensan trademark… and we Generals are really a nature loving people… hope that it will be further analyzed for there is still a pending concern about the same kind of project brought to us by Conal Holdings..:) Magandang Gensan! (^_^)
kailangan ba natin ng another coal power plant? ganyan na ba kalaki ang load ng general santos city? May deisel power plant sa alabel, may CONAL na itatayo sa maasim.. May source pa galing sa NGCP..
di kaya gagamitin lng ang gensan for their source in which obviously, pollution ang result. e, ang makikinabang ibang lugar… think wisely..
Is gensan ready to sustain all the pollution that those power plant gives off?
sana naman pangalagaan natin ang gensan…
there’s no place like home…
Only Sustainable Development!…nothing else. This coal power plant is never a sustainable development!
Ika nga ng kasabihan: Economic Development at the expense of the environment is no PROGRESS!
In simple equation:
Economy + Ecology = REAL DEVELOPMENT
Why not if San Miguel would start to study the feasibility of utilizing Lake Sebu’s 7 falls to generate much needed power for SOCSKSARGEN through hydroelectric power generation? Why the coal? duh! kung kulang pa ang 7 falls naa pay lake maughan oh! bisag lumsan pa tang tanan dili na mahurot!…LOL wa jud sila kahuna huna ana ba… didto jud sila ganahan sa hugaw na source…
Wow! This is Mega INVESTMENT…
Let us hope this project will not harm our environment….
aba, anu etoh? at bakit may ganitoh? abah abah abah, at abah at abah?! magpapatayo na kaagad ng coal-fired power plant at dito pa sa city?
may ginawa na bang Mandatory Plebiscite hinggil sa hakbang na ito ng San Miguel? naku ha,…? hmmm…this is not a good joke for sure.
remember> GREEN PEACE AND MOTHER EARTH PLEASE
this project has its pros and cons … we desperately need more power for mindanao but these coal fired powers plants has its negative effects especially to mother nature.
i hope the upcoming coal fired power plant in maasim area will not pollute its surrounding areas especially the marine sanctuary which is close to its proposed plant site ………. LGUs especially DENR must be doubly strict in implementing its environment laws.
Mas okay ang solar power farm sa Gensan kay pwerteng inita diha…unya lapad pa kaayo ang area to host such solar power facility. Ang wind farms man gud need winds capable to rotate wind turbines. Ug wala naapil ang Gensan sa potential sites for wind farms per DOE study.
Just my two cents. This report was published sometime March or April. If the plan coal-fired power plant will be constructed in General Santos, it will no longer be a mine-mouth plant. Previous articles published stated that it should be constructed in Lake Sebu as a mine-mouth power plant. Mine-mouth plant as far I as know is a plant where the source of raw material is also located. Yung isusubo mo nalang sa planta ang raw materials from the source itself.
Anyways, mouth mouth or not, this is a big investment, but needs further study if this brings havoc to the environment.
Gwapu unta kanang dili maka pollute ba. Kanang mga wind power gensets ba ug solar power sources ba arun environment friendly.