An infrastructure-oriented think tank has called on the environment and energy officials to conduct a joint audit on the environmental impact of existing coal-fired power plants in the country.
Rendering of the FDC Misamis 405MW coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
“The environmental imperative on the issue of coal pollution is to determine the level of environmental compliance of all existing coal-fired power plants in the country. A comprehensive audit on the environmental impact of coal-fired power plants should serve as the government’s baseline in the determination of its policy direction on coal as an energy source,” said Terry Ridon, InfraWatch PH Convenor.
Ridon, who was previously a member of the House energy committee, said many existing and currently operating coal-fired power plants have not retrofitted their plants to the current technologies which would limit their sulfur and carbon emissions.
Aerial-View-of-FDC-Misamis-Power-Plant-at-the-Phividec-Industrial-Estate-Villanueva-Misamis-Oriental
“The public should know the level of emissions of all existing coal-fired power plants in order for government to plan on how reduce such emissions in a graduated manner,” Ridon stressed. The baseline emissions audit should guide government on the different technologies available for power generation, he added.
“This is why the order of the day is really to audit power plants that are currently making carbon and sulfur emissions. If they fail the audit, they should be made to retrofit to current technologies. If not, suspension of operations should be on the table.”