Cebu City Council Rejects Proposed 300mw Coal-fired Power Plant

The Cebu City Council on Wednesday rejected the proposed 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant project in Barangay Sawang Calero in Cebu City for lack of social acceptability.

Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrera, in her committe report, said the proposed coal plant of Ludo Power Corporation is hazardous to the environment, quoting a World Health Organization study.

Cabrera, who chairs the environment committee, said the village where the coal-fired power plant was supposed to be built is also classified as an industrial district 1, thus power plants should not be built there.

Cebu City Councilors Noel Wenceslao and Richard Osmeña, who filed a resolution for the approval of the USD800 million power plant project, withdrew their resolution favorably endorsing the project.

Nelson Yuvallos of Ludo Power Corporation also announced they are withdrawing the project.

Residents of Barangay Sawang Calero who opposed the project thanked him for the withdrawal.

At the Cebu City Council session hall, the residents thanked and gave white flowers to Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, the council’s presiding officer. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS