Inspect power facilities in Batangas, DOE asked

BATANGAS,  Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) should inspect power facilities in Batangas as these may have been affected by the explotion of Taal Volcano, a lawmaker said over the weekend.

“There are concerns that the volcano’s looming major eruption might hamper the operations of vital power plants as well as of oil and gas installations in Batangas,” Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said, noting the province supplies a third of Luzon’s power needs.

“Apart from the vulnerability of the turbines to ashfall, there are also concerns about the sensitivity of fuel facilities to recurring volcanic quakes,” Campos said.

He said the DOE should look into these possible threats to power infrastructure in Batangas as well as draft  contingency plans. 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that Taal’s “explosive eruption” could send a cloud of rocks, dust, gas and pyroclastic materials into the atmosphere, which may collapse and create a rapid flow of hot volcanic matter.