A public-private partnership with South Korea’s Hanjo Group Manufacturing Inc. will construct a 600 MW thermal plant in Bataan to meet the province’s power demand, Governor Albert Garcia said.
“Aside from job creation and development it will give Bataan, the thermal power plant is a clean source of energy. As demand for energy increases, it is good to know that our partners think clean and green,” Garcia was quoted in a Philippine News Agency report
The Korean firm and and provincial government of Bataan signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the project on March 7.
About USD $ 1 billion is reportedly invested for the project with around 10,000 job vacancies available in the construction phase alone.
The governor said there is no specific date yet on the commencement of the construction of the power plant.
“We are expediting the process so that the thermal power plant will be built immediately. Likewise, there is no specific site on where it will be put. It is still under study,” the governor said.
One of the project’s investors Kibum Kim said there will be no Korean workers for the construction of the plant.
“No, no, I don’t think so. We will get workers here. Filipino workers are very good in technical side,” Kim was quoted as saying in the PNA report.
Garcia expressed gratitude to the foreign partners for selecting Bataan.
“Hope this will be the start of something big for Bataan,” the governor said.
Hanjo chief operating officer Hak Joo Choi praised the province.
“Bataan is a real gold in Central Luzon,” he said through an interpreter.
“This is in response to the increasing demand for electricity in the next five years and to expand the capacity of the Philippine Energy,” he added.
The proposed thermal plant will be added to coal power plants already operating and some under construction in Limay and Mariveles towns.
