Meralco preps Philippines coal-fired

Filipino power producer Meralco PowerGen intends to sign a PPA with its parent company Meralco to proceed with a $3.3 billion coal-fired power plant in Luzon.

The proposed 1.2GW Atimonan One Energy is an ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in Calabarzon, Quezon province. Atimonan One Energy Inc is the developer.

"We are planning and hoping to participate in the tender launched by Meralco by the first quarter (Q1 2023)," Meralco PowerGen president and chief executive Jaime Azurin yesterday (6 November 2022) told local media.

The project is shovel-ready and awaiting regulatory approval for its power supply agreement before proceeding with construction activities. The scheduled commercial operations date is 2025.

The company claimed the asset does not fall under the country’s coal moratorium and is under the Energy Project of National Significance. The project has obtained an environmental compliance certificate and connection agreement.

The Energy Department in November 2020 declared a moratorium on greenfield coal-fired power projects. Developers have since then stepped away from their projects, such as the 600MW Subic Bay in Zambales and 1GW Calaca in Batangas.

The government said it will continue processing indicative projects but approval remains uncertain.