MGen unit expects to get approval for natural gas project within the year

MANILA, Philippines — Atimonan One Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), expects to secure within the year approval for the proposed conversion of its coal project in Quezon province into a gas-fired power plant.

“The amendment on the ECC (environmental compliance certificate) is ongoing and we hope that we will be able to convert the coal to gas by October this year,” MGen president and CEO Jaime Azurin said.

“We are still waiting for Meralco’s CSP (competitive selection process) guidelines. Hopefully, it will happen early next year and that’s the time Atimonan will bid,” he said.

In striving toward cleaner and greener energy, MGen earlier announced the conversion of its Atimonan One Energy project from coal to liquefied natural gas or LNG for baseload supply, with an ongoing ECC application for the development of a gas fired power plant.

Atimonan One Energy is looking to invest P175 billion to develop the 2,400-megawatt combined cycle gas turbine power project in Quezon province.

The project also involves construction of floating LNG storage unit, LNG unloading facility, and LNG regasification system, among others.

The first phase of the project is targeted for completion by 2026, and its second phase three years after or by 2029.

The location of project was previously eyed for the development of 2x600 MW coal-fired power plant.

MGen, the power generation arm of the Manila Electric Co., is beefing up its renewable energy portfolio as part of its goal to build 1,500 MW of renewable energy projects by 2030.