The country is negotiating a critical course at the moment. I’m not talking about the power shift in the political scene, although that, too, is crucial and much more significant. It’s the power shift to a clean source of energy.
As a signatory to COP26, the authorities are taking up steps to comply with the commitment to bring down our carbon footprints to reduce global warming. We have to do our share. Science has already established that human-caused global warming is already on our doorsteps and its effects are irreversible on our timescale and could only go downhill in the decades to come.
The Philippine has committed several doable actions in the summit: To make clean power the most affordable and accessible option globally, with ensuing economic and health benefits; to rapidly scale up deployment of clean power generation and energy efficiency measures in its economies.
At the moment, we remain heavily reliant on coal, with fossil fuels powering 54 percent of the total electricity output. There are 9,042 megawatts of coal-fired power generating capacity, accounting for 43 percent of the 20,873 MW registered at the spot market.
One of the agreements in COP26 was the “phase down” instead of “phase out” of coal power. This could be a concession to many developing countries, which are intent on improving their economy — China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and of course, us, the Philippines — are still dependent on coal for at least 40 percent of their total power generation.
It has thus become imperative for us to look for alternative, but greener energy sources. Mitigating the negative impact of climate change necessitates that the Philippines not use coal or nuclear power for base load power stations. In this regard and as a chemist I believe liquefied natural gas (LNG) is one reliable alternative or transition fuel to greener power.
This brings to mind the exchanges I had with the late Dr. Alan “ATO” T. Ortiz, who was then at the helm of Edison Powers here. Back then, ATO was already pushing for an alternative source of power, not just oil as in Malampaya, but greener and renewable.
Curious, I asked around. My curiosity was not unfounded. Actually the country need not look any further. A 400-megawatt LNG power plant, which is 95 percent complete nestles atop Pagbilao, Quezon is ready to commence only, from what I heard, if the government allows it to piggyback on existing power plants within its vicinity.
Built by Energy World Corp., the project has yet to be operational. Overheard that the EWC has been hounded by years-long bureaucratic red tape and wanting in government support. It’s nearly finished, though, the important transmission line and switching station to connect the plant to the main grid are yet to be completed.
Based on my research, I’ve learned that once operational, EWC intends to install a 200MW steam turbine. Similarly, final stages of development of its 2-metric-tons-per-annum LNG facility are on track. The only thing that has been keeping it from operating is the infrastructure that would have allowed it to export power.
To date, no one has attempted to develop a national gas industry that will provide access to gas across the country to optimize its wide range of uses, EWC should have been accorded all the necessary assistance as an incentive to a foreign investor, who has invested millions of dollars in the project. And, EWC’s LNG plant could have started exporting power years ago.
LNG can be used across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors for purposes as diverse as heating, cooking, generating electricity, manufacturing a wide variety of products, and as a fuel for heavy-duty and other vehicles.
We have the reserves and all we have to do is tap it accordingly.
Perhaps, the government may want to take a serious consideration of EWC's LNG plant in step with the aspiration of COP26.
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