PH to still use coal, but will get an upgrade

Wind turbines in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. (Photo: fitri agung/flickr)

President Duterte decided that in order to meet the energy and commercial needs of the Filipino consumer, the country would still need to depend on coal despite its repercussions as an energy source.

However, the administration will require upgrading power plants by adopting clean coal technologies (CCT) ensuring that effects in terms of emissions can be minimized or be manageable.

The President is aiming towards a “happy balance” as coal is regarded as a major contributor in terms of carbon emissions.

He said that alternative power sources such as solar and wind can’t cut as an energy alternative for countries with emerging economies like the Philippines.

“There have been a lot of inventions about solar and everything. But other people and especially the pretentious experts, they do not have a good alternative, I mean cheap, affordable fuel for the power plants,” Duterte added.

According to the IEA (International Energy Agency), many markets in Asia will still remain highly dependent on coal as the demand for coal is expected to shift towards Asia.

With Asia’s growing economies, it is just but a practical choice for most developing nations to prefer coal as a primary energy source as it is still cheap and accessible. This factor is enough to boost the productivity of these nations and cater to their growing population and needs .It is only through cheap energy sources can a country would be able to meet economical demands of its consumers.

The IEA also emphasized that the growth trajectory will depend on China for the coming years since it accounts for 50% of the global demand and nearly half of the world’s coal production.