• GBP coal plants pass DENR emission standards
Coal-fired power plants of Pangilinanled Global Business Power Corp. (GBP) in Cebu and Iloilo have complied with emission standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
This is based on the continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) reports in the first eight months of the year, the company said.
GBP subsidiaries Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC) and Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) operate coalfired generation plants that produce a total of 246 MW and 314 MW, respectively, using the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustion technology which minimizes emissions through limestone injection and low combustion temperature.
In the Self-Monitoring Reports (SMRs) submitted to the Environment Management Bureau of the DENR, both CEDC and PEDC reported that their emission levels of SOx (sulfur oxides), NOx (nitrogen oxides), PM (particulate matter), and CO (carbon monoxide) are lower than the mandated thresholds by as much as 98.5 percent.
The DENR sets the SOx, NOx, PM, and CO emission limits at 700, 1000, 150, and 500 mg/NCM (normal cubic meter), respectively.
CEDC reported that its levels of SOx, NOx, PM, and CO averaged 360, 191, 2.8, and 8.7 mg/NCM.
PEDC, on the other hand, said that PEDC 1 and 2 averaged SOx, NOx, PM, and CO levels of 480, 259, 4.9, and 8 mg/NCM, while PEDC 3 emissions averaged 503, 176, 2.2, and 15.3 mg/NCM.
The GBP coal-fired plants even comply with the World Bank’s 2008 Energy, Health, Safety (EHS) guidelines for thermal power plants, which uses more stringent limits at 900, 510, and 50 mg/NCM for SOx, NOx, and PM, respectively.
GBP president Jaime Azurin said the air quality performance highlights GBP’s commitment to efficient and environmentally responsive operations.
“Generating power creates pressures on the environment, and we see it as a duty to strike a balance between powering our nation’s growth and protecting our natural resources for future generations,” Azurin said, noting the company has also implemented comprehensive conservation programs in its areas of operations.
In Cebu, GBP has rehabilitated 100 hectares of forestland in the Malubog Watershed, which supplies the water requirements of Toledo City and neighboring communities. GBP has also spearheaded the protection of the Iloilo City Sanctuary and Wetland Park, a thriving 35-hectare mangrove forest adjacent to its power generating facilities.
GBP operates 11 power generation facilities in Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan and Mindoro. In 2017, the company acquired a 50 percent stake in Mindanao-based Alsons Thermal Energy Corp.