Following a review of the nation’s energy infrastructure, the energy department of the Philippines has imposed a moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants to help the country switch to sustainable energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. However, while the prohibition stops requests for new plants, it does not apply to projects that have already been approved and are now in the works.
Philippine’s stand on coal power plants
Coal is regarded as a baseload energy resource in the Philippines and many other nations because it is sufficiently affordable to provide a steady supply of power to fulfill the daily minimum demand for electricity. In 2015, it made up 44.5% of the nation’s overall energy mix. The Philippines currently has 28 coal-fired power stations in operation, with a combined installed capacity of 9.88 gigawatts.
Reason behind the moratorium
A government may impose a ban on new exploration for oil and gas in a certain area to study the potential hazards and effects of these operations on the environment or to give time for the development of other energy sources. Similar to this, in order to save biodiversity as well as the ecosystem services of a specific forest or marine area, logging restrictions may be imposed