Kingstone Energy, one of the disqualified bidders for the 20-year power supply of Manila Electric Co. has no registered project, raising questions on its qualification, the Department of Energy said Wednesday.
“They don’t have any registered project with us. Neither committed nor indicative. If they will build a new coal plant, that’s not included in the committed or indicative capacities that we have. Then it will be covered already by the moratorium,” Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said.
Kingstone Energy and two other disqualified bidders can still file an appeal with the Meralco third party bids and awards committee to participate in the CSP with the financial bid opening set on Feb. 19. Meralco is bidding out the supply of 1,800 megawatts,
“If they [Kingstone] want a new coal plant, then they cannot participate. It is possible they have a joint venture with an existing proponent that is in the list, but we cannot establish that yet,” Delola said.
Several groups raised concern over the planned coal project of Kingstone Energy in the wake of the coal ban announced by the agency last year.
The DOE issued a moratorium on endorsement of the application and development of new coal-fired power projects.
Under the DOE memorandum, existing and operational coal-fired power generation facilities as well as any coal-fired power project in the parameters listed by the DOE would not be affected by the advisory.
These include committed coal-fired power projects and existing power plant complexes which already have firm expansions plans and existing land site provision.
Indicative power projects with substantial accomplishments, with signed and notarized acquisition of land or lease agreement for the project; and with approved permits or resolutions from LGUs (city/municipality, province) and the Regional Development Council where the power plants will be located are also exempted from the moratorium.
The Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan said the DOE’s moratorium on new coal plants should put an end to the participation of Kingstone in the Meralco CSP.
Angelo Palmones, Agham president, said the Kingstone project was covered by the DOE moratorium against new or greenfield coal power plants and “they should be removed immediately and permanently from the CSP, as they did not meet the bare minimum rules and regulations outright.”
Some groups also noted the lack of track record of Kingstone Energy. Infrawatch PH, an infrastructure-oriented think tank urged the DOE to implement stricter rules in the competitive selection process of power distribution utilities.
Terry Ridon, Infrawatch PH convenor and former House energy committee member, said that while the CSP was proven as a viable and transparent process to ensure the least cost to electricity consumers, “the DOE should implement stricter rules to ensure that bidders have proven local track record and pose no national security risks.”