A proposal to introduce ammonia co-fired generation at a coal plant in Quezon province by a foreign partnership would lead to prolonging and exacerbating high electricity costs and pollution from the Quezon coal power plant.
Quezon Power Philippines, a subsidiary of Thailand-based EGCO Group, and South Korean firm Doosan Enerbility Co. signed a memorandum of understanding to study ammonia co-firing at the 460-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Mauban, allegedly as a way to mitigate carbon emissions.
“Quezon Power will use the integration of ammonia as another means to brand its coal operation as clean, but we know that this could not be farther from the truth,” according to consumer group Power for People Coalition.
“This plan would only prolong the life of an already polluting facility while bringing a whole new set of risks to the health and environment of our people,” Fr. Warren Puno of local advocacy group Quezon for Environment or QUEEN and Director of the Ministry of Ecology of the Diocese of Lucena.
Carbon-mitigation measure
Ammonia is preferred by proponents in the region as a way of lowering the carbon footprint of combustion in coal power generation facilities.
Concerns abound, however, in the intensive use of fossil fuels for the production and processing of ammonia and the emission of a considerable amount of several greenhouse gasses, and the expected increase that co-firing will add to power generation costs.
“Quezon Power is already the most expensive power provider contracted by Meralco. Retrofitting the plant to accommodate co-firing, ammonia fuel production, transport, and other required processes will only add more costs and promote the continued use of coal to sell power that consumers simply can no longer afford,” P4P convenor Gerry Arances said.