Regional Coal: Philippines coal demand to surge by 2014

With the entry of new coal-fired power generation plants in the Philippines, the Department of Energy (DOE) projected an increase of more than 500 thousand metric tons of coal demand in a year until 2014, Philstar.Com reported on Tuesday.

A data from the DOE revealed that demand for coal in the Philippines is projected to reach at an average of 16 million metric tons by 2014, while new power plants now being built.

By the end of 2009, coal orders nationwide is seen to touch the 14 million metric tons level, from the 13 million it posted last year.

DOE data further showed that coal consumption in 2007 was at 10.2-million MT, with power generation firms eating up 73.67 percent of the share at 7.5-million MT.

This was followed by cement companies with 2.2-million MT, and industrial firms at 449,701 MT.

Semirara Island, in Antique accounted for 3.5-million MT in coal production in 2007, which totaled 3.74-million MT, or 93.59 percent market share. In the Visayas, total coal production in Cebu was at 15, 438 MT and Negros with 1, 259 MT.

Coal importation in 2007 was dominated by the Indonesian market at 5.6-million MT, followed by China (1.04-million MT), Vietnam (473,032 MT), and Australia (650,000 MT).

The Philippines has to source out coal from countries like Indonesia whose coal component is ?superior? compared to those found here. (*)