The issue about the Redondo coal-fired powered plant has again reared its head so I think it is best that members be informed of what went on and its present status. Here’s a brief historical timeline:
28 Jul 2006 – Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SBMA and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp (TCC) regarding the latter’s proposal to build a coal-fired power plant
11 Aug 2006 – letter by TCC regarding proposed location of ash pond
4 Dec 2006 – SBFCC letter to SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza (ACA) opposing the Redondo coal-fired power plant
Dec 2006 – Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted by TCC
22 Dec 2006 – SBMA Ecology Center consultation meeting with the Subic Bay Resorts Association (SUBRA) and later, with SBF locators
24 Jan 2007 – Manifesto from the Alliance for the Preservation and Enhancement of Subic Bay
26 Jan 2007 – Subic Coal-Fired Power Plant Presentation to Locators by TCC
4 Apr 2007 – SBMA’s Ecology Center issues Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) to TCC
7 May 2008 – DENR's Environmental Mgt Bureau's (EMB) Public Hearing at Cawag Elem School, Subic, Zambales (there was another one conducted at around this same date at the Aristocrat Restaurant)
12 Jul 2007 – SBFCC letter to DENR Sec. Angelo Reyes, re: opposition to coal-fired power plant
26 Jul 2007 – SBFCC letter to newly appointed DENR Sec. Jose Atienza Jr, re: opposition to coal-fired power plant
27 Dec 2007 – SBFCC letter to VP Luis Aboitiz, re: opposition to issuance of ECC to TCC
12 Mar 2008 – Danny Piano’s report to the SBFCC regarding the circulating fluidized bed technology based from a similar TCC power plant in Taiwan
14 May 2008 – SBFCC’s letter to DENR-EMB's Julian Amador opposing the plant
22 Dec 2008 – DENR, which essentially "voided" SBMA's ECC, issues their own ECC to the Redondo project nonetheless
6 Oct 2010 – HHIC (Hanjin) writes SBMA regarding their concern about possible effects of dust from the power plant to their painting operations
14 Dec 2010 – Redondo Peninsula Energy’s (RP Energy) replies to HHIC saying essentially there is negligible or no effect
28 Jun 2011 – Pres. Aquino showed support to coal-fired power plants when he inaugurated a plant in Cebu and said, "While the power plant we are inaugurating today does not necessarily produce renewable energy, it does comply with the Clean Air Act”
22 Jul 2011 – Meralco PowerGen Corp. takes majority stake in the Subic Bay 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant. Secretary Jose Rene Almendras of the Department of Energy who witnessed the signing said that the Philippines will continue to rely on coal as a major fuel for power generation
The Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce has been at the forefront of this issue and has submitted several position papers regarding our opposition to the Redondo coal-fired power plant. The SBFCC position has not changed.
Unlike some people who today profess knowledge about the issues concerned and what went on, we were actually there since the start. Since 2006, we spent, mostly on personal time, hundreds of hours researching the facts; attending public hearings; and gathering, studying, and analyzing documents we can get our hands on.
While the Subic Bay Freeport obviously has a need for more reliable and cheaper electricity, we are also a premier tourism destination. But, we do not want to be fear mongering as others do since the plant that will be built is based on the new and much cleaner circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology; it is a case of NIMBY or not-in-my-backyard in our case.
Some SBF manufacturers who in the past did not care much about the power plant when electricity was more reliable and cheaper have now expressed concern due to the continuing rise of electricity rates. Studies by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), of which the SBFCC is a member, have shown that unless something is done, the Philippines will have electricity supply problems. Also, that the Philippines now have the highest electricity rate in Southeast Asia. It also said that we need the right mix of renewable but expensive energy and non-renewable but less expensive energy like coal. It is a necessary evil, the same as our gas-guzzling cars and SUVs. It is analogous to the reason why we are not all driving hybrid cars—because we cannot afford them.
In short, the cause for concern of many manufacturers is not without basis, as do the concern of tourism-related companies about the potential effects of the power plant to the environment and tourism. It is a case of being caught between a rock and a hard place.
But, are we really going to get cheaper electricity rates from the Redondo plant?
Just today, another newspaper release came out from the Philippine Daily Inquirer titled, “Subic locators not primary beneficiary of coal-fired power plant.” If this is true then we won’t get much of the cheaper electricity that we are hoping for in the first place. Fortunately, it is not entirely accurate. The nodal billing and open access system that will become effective nationwide late this year will take care of that. Basically, the cost of transmission will depend on how close one is to a power generation plant. The closer we are to one, the cheaper the transmission cost. Not to mention the plan to provide generation cost discounts to Freeport locators if the previously proposed 69kv line for a 50MW block to the Freeport mainland is found to be impractical.
In any case, the stark reality is that the Redondo plant project is going to push through. It already has, in fact. The project proponent has already started its development which it expects to complete by 2015. Even as we have not changed our position, even if we have been fighting it since 2006, the reality is we lost this fight. Some organizations and people who were not there during the fight when it was happening are now making it appear to be the gladiators—when the fight is all but over. The past Arroyo administration has approved the project more than two years ago. The present Aquino administration is for it, too, because of the impending power crisis and since it complies with the strict Philippine Clean Air Act in the first place.
Friends, we cannot fight a fight that is over. While hope springs eternal, we must also be pragmatic. What your Chamber is now trying to achieve relative to this project is to make sure that appropriate monitoring systems are put in place and that the visual impact of the power plant to tourism is minimized. I had made a suggestion to the project proponent that the 24/7 emission display on their computer monitoring system be made available to the public via a website. This way, anybody can monitor the emissions and there will be transparency. I look forward to winning this one at least. Strict monitoring is very important and is the reason why some coal-fired power plants like the one in Oahu, Hawaii and Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, California are able to co-exist with both commercial and tourism establishments. For this reason, we will lobby to be part of the authorized monitoring team as well.
I hope I have provided a summary of all the information we have on hand relative to the Redondo power plant project. You may agree with me or not on some or all of it but, as your president, it is my duty to present it as it is.
Sincerely,
Prof. Danny Piano
President
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FBC burner are more complicated than normal pulverized coal power plants
Jasmine Santiago created a doc.
The white flag is raised up by some members of the business community within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as a sign of defeat in the campaign to scrap the plan to build a coal-fired power plant in Subic Bay. Such defeat came too soon for a few within the SBFCCI membership.
Mr. Danny Piano stated in his letter that "it is a done deal" and therefore not worth fighting to stop it anymore. The "gladiators" as he claims we are as Civil Society Organizations in the Provinces of Zambales, Bataan and the City of Olongapo are fighting over a useless campaign.
Unknown to Mr. Danny Piano and some members of the Chamber of Commerce, there have been countless of moves that the oppositors have done to protest the issuance of EEC and the strange rush approval of the SBMA Board without the necessary requirements such as "Social Acceptability" . The network of oppositors particularly the multi-sectoral Olongapo-Zambales Civil Society Network affirm its stand against the Coal-fired Power Plant and will never raise the white flag. The proponents and supporters of the Coal-fired Power Plant have not yet seen the real campaign against it. Unkown to the SBF business community, there has been protest actions and confrontations at the project site in the town of Subic. Mr. Piano's claim that SBFCC under his leadership is there since the beginning like a sole crusader protesting with hundreds of hours and using personal resources as if no other group shared the same position is not true. Whereas it is only right and proper that the Chamber made its protests heared since they are utilizing the ecological attributes of Subic, it is also proper that other protesters should be welcome to carry on the fight without surrender.
We stand by our statement that there is no Social Acceptability by the directly affected communities in the Municipality of Subic and is opposed by various tourism-related locators, the association of the Greater Subic Bay Tourism industries and other business establishments within the Greater Subic Bay Area. The residents of Olongapo City and Subic Municipality as well as the residents within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone particularly in Kalayaan and Binictican Residential Area strongly oppose the project. The project is opposed by the Olongapo City Government for health and environmental reasons. Two City Resolutions have been passed and submitted to the SBMA and concerned government agencies under lobbying of concerned citizens and Civil Society Organizations. The deliberations of the Sangunian Bayan of Subic (herewith attached) strongly opposes the same project. The Zambales Provincial Board strongly oppose what would be the second Coal-Fired Power Plant in Zambales after the Masinloc Coal Power Plant that is said to have enough power to supply Hanjin Industries.
It is also a known fact that the project violated the previous terms and conditions with the SBMA that TCC will be a Joint Venture with SBMA, that it would be environmentally friendly, and that it would provide affordable power to the Freeport, Olongapo City and the Subic Bay Area. With the non-compliance of the conditions for the existing project for 300MW Coal-fired Power Plant, the same project is now applying to expand to 600MW Coal-fired Power Plant on the same location.
We further stand by that without clear, transparent and accountable social acceptability, an ECC should not be issued and that the previous ECC for the 300MW must be revoked at once.
The severe negative effect on the eco-tourism image of Subic Freeport will result to loss of tourism incomes, pollution and negative effect to public health without mitigation, possible acid rain formation endangering the last Central Luzon rain forest within the Subic Bay Freeport are not addressed at all. Furthermore, the 100% export of power generated to national grid in contradiction to promises and commitments for reasonable and cheaper power in the Freeport and neighboring Local Governments cannot be met as Mr. Piano accepted.
The supporters and those who gave up the campaign are not fully aware that Fluidized bed combustion (FBC) technology is not a Technology of Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation. FBC boilers were first used in eastern Pennsylvania in 1987.
The so-called Clean Coal technology is indeed just a little more superior and cleaner than conventional pulverized coal power plants but the FBC burner are more complicated than what Mr. Piano admittedly observed. Burning of coal at low temperature results in incomplete breakdown of organic compound and thereby increase the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) and waste coal has higher concentration of mercury than normal coal burners due to their use of limestone injections. The addition of extra limestone produce more solid waste and can promote the formation of PAHs in the FBC system. The total PAH emission increases with an increase in sulfur content of coal. Some ash particles can still pass the Electrostaticprecipitators and
We urge Mr. Piano and the rest of the SBFCC members not to lose out in the fight that is just starting. It is far from over and it is gaining more support not only within the Philippines but also with the international community. SBFCC as he said never changed its stand against the project. We all are frateful for their unified stand even if Mr. Piano in his personal capacity believes that the fight is lost. SBFCC should know that renewable energy is also available for Subic as already proposed and soon to be approved.
ALEX CORPUS HERMOSO
Lead Convener,
Olongapo-Zambales Civil Society Network
Member of the Board, People's Task Force on Hanjin & Subic Bay Inc.
August 17, 2011, 4:06 PM
http://www.ipetitions.com/peti
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