MANILA, Oct. 22 (PNA) — President Benigno S. Aquino III said Wednesday the government is looking into the possibility of acquiring the much-needed power load from a stalled coal-powered plant in Subic, Zambales to address the projected electricity shortage during next year’s summer months.
“Perhaps we would also like to ask the judiciary to finally rule on the Redondo (Peninsula Energy, Inc.) issue in Subic Bay with finality. As you know, that could have been decided rather quickly from our perspective,” said the President during the annual Presidential Forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in Marco Polo Ortigas, Pasig City.
He was referring to the case filed before the Supreme Court.
In 2007, the Redondo Peninsula Energy, Inc., a joint venture between Aboitiz Power Corp. and Taiwan’s Cogeneration Corp., secured a government deal to build a coal-fired power plant at the Redondo peninsula in Subic Bay.
In 2012, the High Tribunal issued a writ of Kalikasan after local residents, environmental groups and local government units in Zambales opposed the construction of the power plant.
“If it had been approved, then you would have additional 600 megawatts already being produced by the end of this year, but it’s still pending with them. The ground has been prepared and after that nothing else, because there is that pending issue with the courts,” said the President.
When asked if the controversial Bataan Nuclear Power Plant could be used as an alternative source of power, he replied that there is a study to see if it could be converted into a gas- or a coal-powered plant.
“Pero ‘yung nuclear—and with all due respect to our Japanese friends—their rigidity in terms of rules, et cetera, did not prevent the tragedy of Fukushima,” President Aquino said. (PNA)