Expanded geothermal production field faces opposition in Negros Occidental

KIDAPAWAN, North Cotabato — Opposition to the development of the 106-megawatt Mindanao geothermal production field (MGPF) in Mt. Apo that started in the late 1980s was the most challenging experience for Energy Development Corp. (EDC) at the time. Until the company ventured into Negros Occidental, in particular Mt. Kanlaon. Erwin Magallanes, environmental senior supervisor of the Northern Negros Geothermal Production Field (NNGPF), said the MGPF was once considered by the PNOC-EDC (now EDC) as the "most problematic" due to strong opposition from the Catholic church and indigenous peoples. But that record has been surpassed by the NNGPF in Bago City and Murcia town, Negros Occidental province as local environment groups, including Green Alert-Negros and Save Mt. Kanlaon Coalition, and Catholic church leaders headed by Bacolod Bishop Vicente M. Navarra continue to block EDC’s expansion to the buffer zone of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park. "NNGPF has surpassed Mt. Apo in terms of [opposition to its expansion]," Mr. Magallanes said. He accompanied journalists from Bacolod City invited by EDC to visit the MGPF a week ago. "They [oppositors] took the battle to another level. It now involves legal [battle]," he added. Save Mt. Kanlaon Coalition, through counsels Andrea Si and Andres Hagad, have filed a complaint with the Bacolod Regional Trial Court-Branch 44 against the EDC, members of the MKNP Protected Area Management Board and government officials, including Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, Environment Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr., Negros Occidental Governor Isidro P. Zayco, Bago Mayor Ramon D. Torres and Murcia Mayor Esteban H. Coscolluela, to stop the entry of EDC into the buffer zone. MGPF planning superintendent Elmo Butardo said the Mt. Apo project has reached Congress, but unlike its counterpart in Negros Occidental, the issue was not haled to court. Next year, the full operation of the two Mindanao geothermal plants will be turned over to the EDC after a 10-year cooperation period with a foreign consortium, Oxbow Power Corp. and Marubeni Corp., that financed, designed and constructed the plants under a build-operate-transfer arrangement. The 52-megawatt (MW) Mindanao 1 geothermal power plant started its commercial operations in March 1997, while the 54-MW M2GP, in June 1999. Shut down Meanwhile, the NNGPF, which has a production capacity of 49 MW and was commissioned by the then PNOC-EDC in February 2007, has been shut down since the last week of May due to insufficient steam production. Mr. Magallanes said the production wells of NNGPF are being repaired and rehabilitated. However, the plant will be able to produce a maximum of only 15 to 20 MW when it reopens early next year, thus the need for EDC to expand inside the 169-hectare buffer zone to tap more geothermal reserves and produce up to 30 MW. EDC said the expanded area would cover only 12.5 hectares. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has granted permission for EDC to cut 4,213 trees for the expansion. "There’s always a trade-off. We have to cut trees to pursue our development plan," Mr. Magallanes said. But he said compared to old trees such as those that will be cut, newer or smaller trees will fare better in terms of carbon absorption at a growing stage. Rusty Biñas of Green Alert-Negros earlier presented a study that valued a 50-year-old tree inside Mt. Kanlaon at P7.4 million, He noted that further geothermal exploration would result in "natural landscape alteration and forest and habitat destruction" and will "release non-condensable gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and carbon dioxide with traces of mercury." Mr. Magallanes disputed the claim. "It’s not the true value. It should only be based on the value of the wood. They go beyond the estimates," he said. EDC started cutting trees in the buffer zone last month in the presence of representatives from the oversight committee. — Nanette L. Guadalquiver, BusinessWorld