Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said he supports the planned construction of two coal-fired power plants in Cadiz City as Negros Occidental badly needs its own sources of power.

Cadiz Mayor Patrick Escalante said two firms are proposing to reclaim 50 hectares at the Cadiz port area for the construction of coal-fired power plants and the establishment of an economic zone.

Philippine Power Corp., a conglomeration of Filipino and Chinese investors, is planning to put up a 70-megawatt coal fired power plant, while Pacific Energy Corp., owned by Indonesian, Filipino and Chinese investors, is proposing a 100-megawatt plant.

They are presently processing their permits from the Department of Energy and the Philippine Reclamation Authority so they can begin work, he said.

Vice President Jejomar Binay has promised to provide assistance to hasten the procedure, he added.

The reclamation of the land at the port area will be done in phases with 16 hectares targeted initially, he said.

The reclamation phase will take one to two months and the putting up of the plant will take about two years, Escalante said.

The mayor  said that he, Board Member Salvador Escalante, and some Cadiz City and VMC Rural Electric Service Cooperative Inc. officials are processing their papers to go to Taiwan to observe coal-fired power plant operations there.

Cadiz City will not invest any money in the reclamation project but depending on the outcome of their negotiations, will own about 40 percent of the area to be reclaimed by the investors, Escalante said.

The investors are also set to talk to VRESCO officials to negotiate the sale of their power to it when their plants begin operations, he said.

They also hope to sell their power to other power cooperatives in Negros, he added.*CPG

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