Seawater eyed to help run coal facility

Experts at the Aboitiz Power Corp. are seriously considering the use of seawater in the operation of its proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in southern Davao to help minimize the impact of its facility on surrounding communities.

This measure will ensure that power plant operations will not affect the fresh water resources of the communities in the area, APC explained in a statement.

According to APC vice president Tommy Sliman, the company’s technical experts are now studying the plan to use seawater so that the coal facility will not have an impact on fresh water resources in the vicinity. The experts are now conducting soil bearing tests at the coal site—a 51-hectare property in Binugao, Toril, Davao City and Inawayan, Sta. Cruz town.

An option being considered is the construction of a desalination facility that will remove the salt content and impurities in the water drawn from the Davao Gulf. The result will be pure freshwater that can be used to run the power plant.

“This will cost us a little bit more, but we are willing to do it. We do not want to disturb our neighbors and their use of the water in the area,” Sliman said.

APC’s proposed 300-MW coal-fired facility is expected to help solve the power supply woes of Mindanao, which has been sourcing bulk of its power requirements from hydro resources. This makes Mindanao highly vulnerable to various weather phenomena like prolonged drought.

“Hydropower plants [can no longer] meet Mindanao’s power needs during long droughts. Studies project that if we don’t build a new power plant soon, Mindanao could experience a power deficit of as high as 484 MW by 2014,” said APC’s Bobby Orig said.