DOE: Semirara coal auction likely to resume this month

MANILA, Philippines — The government has signaled the possible resumption of the Semirara coal auction this month, even as the Consunji Group pushes back against sharing asset data with rival bidders.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the auction is “most likely” to proceed this month once the Department of Energy (DOE) completes refinements to the bidding rules.

“We just have to finish some changes to the rules, which might take a few weeks because we still need to conduct consultations. I’m hoping (we’ll be able to do it) within the month,” Garin said in a chance interview.

The DOE, she said, is still working out how to structure the auction for the country’s largest coal mine site on Semirara Island in Antique, citing the project’s complexity.

The complexity has even prompted the DOE to work closely with other government agencies to determine how brownfield coal projects should be handled.

Tycoon Isidro Consunji’s Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) currently operates the Semirara coal mine under a contract that expires in July 2027.

Instead of extending the contract, as sought by the company, the DOE opted to put the project up for competitive bidding.

The auction, launched earlier this year, has remained on hold since late April as the DOE addresses clarifications raised by prospective bidders, as first reported by The STAR.

Although Garin herself acknowledged SMPC’s advantage in the auction given its expertise, the prolonged bidding process continues to cast uncertainty over the company’s future at the Semirara mine.

Just last week, SMPC sought court protection against the DOE’s repeated demands to disclose proprietary information, including a comprehensive inventory of its assets, for sharing with rival bidders.