Philippines confirms 23 new coal-fired power plants
The Philippines, which is one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, has confirmed plans to build more coal-fired power plants
The Philippines, which is one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, has confirmed plans to build more coal-fired power plants.
The president of the Philippines said the new power stations are needed to meet demands for energy but leading Filipino politicians have argued that coal is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.
Many developing countries see coal as a relatively cheap option of power generation and the Philippines is planning a total of 23 new power plants.
Coal currently generates about 42 per cent of electricity in the Philippines, with the remainder coming from locally-sourced natural gas and renewables.
The share of cola in the country’s energy mix could rise to about 70 per cent in a few decades, according to some estimates.
President Benigno Aquino said that cutting the use of coal in favour of gas was not an option because of a lack of gas-importing facilities.
He said that the Philippines had increased its share of renewables but costs have limited their development.
