Atimonan One Energy Inc. (A1E), a subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), is pushing for the expedited review of its planned 1,200-megawatt (MW) ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in Atimonan, Quezon to meet the country’s growing energy demand.
MGen president and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio confirmed in a recent interview that the company is awaiting clarification from authorities after the project was recalled for review.
“I spoke with (the Department of Energy) and I’m trying to clarify what aspect of the project will be reviewed and what they communicated in due time. I’m hoping we can still get this review done sooner rather than later,” Rubio said.
Rubio emphasized that the Atimonan project is crucial to addressing the country’s need for additional baseload capacity, particularly with the DoE planning a baseload auction in December.
“We were aiming to deliver this late 2029 early 2030,” he said. “Our commitment is that the LCOE (levelized cost of energy) of this is going to be probably one of the most competitive, and the capacity is needed.”
Rubio said the project will comply with new conditions, including a commitment to transition away from coal fuel by 2050.
“We accepted the condition to repurpose the plant by 2050 to burn another fuel or if not, we cannot operate it if it’s a coal plant. Even before 2050, we’re looking at technologies like ammonia co-firing as long as it’s viable,” he said.
MGen has already instructed its engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to consider co-firing capabilities.
“In the discussions with our EPCs, we are already asking them to make sure that the boiler can co-fire ammonia,” Rubio said.
He added that the plant would maintain its original ultra-supercritical design to comply with the terms of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
MGen is currently considering two EPC contractors and two original equipment manufacturers for the supply of steam turbines and generators, although Rubio declined to name them.
A1E originally aimed to build a highly efficient 1,200-MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant with low emissions. However, the project faced delays due to opposition from environmental groups and the absence of a power supply agreement.