San Miguel Corporation’s Reliance Energy Development Inc. (REDI) has withdrawn its application for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for its proposed 300 MW liquefied natural gas power plant in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) said on Tuesday, November 15.
The CEED furnished DIGICAST NEGROS a copy of the letter of Engineer William Cuñado, director of the Environment Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, dated Monday, November 14, confirming REDI’s withdrawal of its intent to secure an ECC.
The letter addressed to Avril De Torres, CEED deputy executive director, said “The proponent decided to no longer pursue its ECC application for the proposed 300MW LNG Combined Cycle Power Plant Project. As such, This Office has withdrawn from the list of ECC applications the proposed project of REDI”.
“This is a victory for Negrosanons, who have made their voice clear that they preferred renewable energy to LNG in sourcing their power for the island. Although LNG is considered a ‘transition fuel’ by some, it is clearly unnecessary for Negros, which boasts of extensive renewable energy facilities,” said de Torres.
San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said “I am grateful for the help of the Almighty in ensuring that the voice of the people of Negros are heard and that the natural beauty of our island can be preserved through the minimal use of fossil fuels”.
Negros is the center of renewable energy in the country, and he hopes that the rest of the Philippines would follow its lead in saying no to fossil fuels and accelerating the adoption of the more affordable and sustainable renewable energy, Alminaza said.
“We also hope that the (Negros Occidental) Sangguniang Panlalawigan will finally listen and pull out the resolution of non-objection it prematurely issued to the project,” Alminaza said.
The bishop reiterated his call for SMC and other companies, as well as for the government to hasten the shift to renewable energy, and for financial institutions to stop financing fossil fuels.
“We hope that this development, the third such application by SMC after the proposed LNG projects in Leyte and Cebu, will be the start of a trend against further development of LNG in the country,” said Krishna Ariola, founding convenor of Youth for Climate Hope (Y4CH), who is currently at the ongoing UN climate talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt to raise the calls of the youth.
San Carlos Mayor Renato Gustilo said he heard that REDI has withdrawn its application for an ECC but has not received an official confirmation from the firm yet.
REDI could not be reached for comment as of this writing.*