Davao San Miguel power station
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Davao San Miguel power station, also known as the Malita power station, is a 600-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant under development in Davao Occidental Province, Philippines.
Contents
Location
The map below shows the location of the plant's site, in Culaman Barangay, Malita Municipality, Davao Occidental Province.
Background on plant
Originally the Davao Power Plant project was described as a 300 MW coal plant consisting of two 150 MW units. In June 2013 San Miguel Corporation disclosed plans for two additional phases. Phase II, an additional 300-MW unit, would be completed by 2018; Phase III, two 300 MW units, would be completed in 2019 and 2020. The project would be fed by San Miguel's coal mines in Mindanao.[1]
In May 2016, SMC Global president Alan T. Ortiz said that the project would consist of four units of 150 MW each. "600 MW is more realistic," he said, in contrast to earlier plans that had foreseen as much as 1200 MW built at the site, including two units of 150 MW each and three units of 300 MW each. According to Ortiz, the first unit of the project would begin operating in July, Unit 2 would begin operating at the end of the year, and Units 3 and 4 had not yet begun construction. Ortiz estimated the cost of the plants at US$2 million per megatwatt, or US$1.2 billion for the 600 MW facility.[2]
A new transmission line connecting the plant to other locations in Davao was approved February 2015.[3]
Biomass conversion
In October 2018 SMC announced that it would convert its existing power plants using CFB technology into biomass power facilities, including its coal-fired plants in Limay and Malita.[4]
Phase I
San Miguel broke ground on the two-unit Phase I in July 2013.[5] This first phase was slated to cost P25.8 billion, or $630 million. As of September 2014, the project was running behind schedule, with completion scheduled for February 2016 for Unit 1, and July 2016 for Unit 2.[6] Construction was at 37% complete in February 2015.[7]
In August 2016 it was reported Unit 1 was undergoing testing and was planned for commercial operation that month. Unit 2 was planned for the end of 2016.[8] As of January 2017, Unit 1 was operational. In August 2017 the Department of Energy gave a target of September 2017 for commercial operations.[9] Unit 2 was listed as completed as of Q1 of 2017.[10]
Phase II
San Miguel had completed land acquisition for Phases II & III by September 2014, and was working on securing financing and remaining permits.[11]
In July 2016 it was reported that San Miguel had been approved to build a 328 MW coal plant in Davao (this larger amount may reflect the gross capacity of the new units, as other reports still listed it as a 4 x 150 MW project).[12] As of January 2017, plans for Phase II had "yet to be finalized."[13] As of November 2018 there has been no further news about Phase II and it appears to have been shelved.
Public opposition
In 2012, Malita Tagakaulo Mission (MATAMIS) of the Diocese of Digos, signed a petition letter opposing the coal plant and its affiliated mines. The letter stated “that coal energy and large scale mining threaten our hopes for a sustainable future for our children. It is unacceptable that we be made to suffer the harmful effects of a coal-fired power plant in our municipality with the knowledge that environmentally friendly solutions in the form of clean renewable energy are widely available and readily deployable."[14]
The letter cited the impact of the project on the ancestral lands of the Tagakaulo people and deplored the "probable irregularity" with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and local governmental officials had obtained free and prior informed consent (FPIC) from indigenous communities.[14]
Project Details
- Sponsor: SMC Global Power Holdings
- Parent company: San Miguel Corporation
- Location: Culaman Barangay, Malita Municipality, Davao Occidental Province, Philippines
- Coordinates: 6.39351, 125.61684 (exact)
- Status: Units 1-2: Operating; Units 3-4: Shelved; Unit 5: Cancelled
- Gross Capacity: Units 1-4: 150 MW
- Type: Subcritical
- In service: Unit 1: 2016; Unit 2: 2018
- Coal Type:
- Coal Source: SMC Global Power Corporation and Legenda Mines, subsidiaries of San Miguel Corporation[1][14]
- Source of financing:
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Disclosure letter to the Philippine Stock Exchange, San Miguel Corporation, June 14, 2013
- ↑ Victor V. Saulon, "SMC Global to operate first unit of 150-MW Malita plant by July," BusinessWorld Online, May 23, 2016
- ↑ Project to connect San Miguel's new coal plant to Mindanao grid approved, InterAksyon, 12 Feb. 2015.
- ↑ San Miguel plans power plants’ transition to biomass technology, BusinessWorld, Oct. 4, 2018
- ↑ San Miguel to expand power facilities in Luzon, Mindanao, Rappler, 19 Jan. 2014.
- ↑ Private Sector Initiated Power Projects (Mindanao): Committed, Philippines Department of Energy, 30 Sept. 2014.
- ↑ Capon, Cheneen. Coal-fired power plant in DavSur 37% complete, Edge Davao, 13 Feb. 2015.
- ↑ "SMC set to open 2 coal plants," Manila Standard, August 14, 2016
- ↑ Private Sector Initiated Power Projects (Mindanao): Committed, Philippines Department of Energy, 31 Aug 2017.
- ↑ SMC – Malita Coal Fired Power Plant 600 MW – Davao del Sur, JBS Market Research, Apr. 30, 2018
- ↑ Private Sector Initiated Power Projects (Mindanao): Indicative, Philippines Department of Energy, 30 Sept. 2014.
- ↑ "SMC’s 2 coal plants get initial clearance," Manila Standard, July 18, 2016
- ↑ Limay Coal Plant To Start Operations By May, BusinessWorld Online, 25 Jan 2017.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Local folks reject SMC’s coal plant, mining projects in Malita," CBCP News, Nov. 19, 2012
