The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is pioneering the utilization of high efficiency, low emission (HELE) technology in the Philippines, its officials said. Meralco is making the push through its power generation arm Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen).

“We have pioneered the utilization of HELE in the Philippines and I think we are in the right direction,” said Litz Santana, MGen vice president for external affairs, during the listed firm’s presentation here.

Currently, the Meralco unit is pushing for the development of baseload power plants, or facilities that provide uninterrupted power supply, using the HELE technology. These are coal-fired power plants that utilize supercritical and ultrasupercritical technologies, more advanced than the existing subcritical technologies seen in existing coal facilities in the country.

This type of technology will also reduce emissions of other pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter.

In October, San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co. (SBPL) — a joint venture of Meralco PowerGen and New Growth B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Electricity Generating Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand — switched on the 500-megawatt (MW) supercritical coal-fired power plant in Mauban, Quezon.

Also, MGen subsidiary Atimonan One Energy Inc. is planning to develop a 1,200-MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant, also in Atimonan. The facility was declared an energy project of national significance by the Department of Energy and registered as preferred pioneer expertise with the Board of Investments.

Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga told reporters they would bring the information to Meralco what they have learned from the operator of Linkou Power Plant during a study tour here.

“This is certainly a learning experience for us. We will bring the information that has been provided to Meralco. Obviously, there are best practices that have been shared by our friends from Linkou,” he said.

Meralco is keen on engaging various stakeholders in all of its power projects.

“We are doing that now in terms of engaging our various audiences and we will continue to ensure that the level of service we provide in the Philippines will approximate of what we have learned here in Taiwan.”

For MGen, Santana said, this reaffirmed its intention in securing energy and working harmoniously with stakeholders to ensure the timely completion of power facilities in the pipeline.

When asked if the Philippines can still adopt HELE technology, Taiwan Power Co. deputy plant general manager Chou Ru-Chin said the country can do so as long as it chooses the right EPC (engineering, procurement construction) contractor.

Taiwan Power Co. is a state-owned power firm which runs the 2,400-MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in Linkou District, New Taipei.