Provincial Consultant Alfredo “Albee” Benitez yesterday revealed plans of the San Miguel Corporation to put up a 300-megawatt Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) power plant worth P18.5 billion.

“If we can position the province of Neg. Occ. and Bacolod City to be completely Green Power, we will be the first of its kind,” Benitez said, noting that the province has enough solar farms.

He however said base load is the problem of solar farms.

The planof SMC to put up a coal-fired power plant in San Carlos City did not pushthrough due to mounting opposition from environmentalists and the late Gov. Alfredo Marañon III.

Stressing the need to have a base load to ensure stable of power supply, Benitez said the plans of SMC to put up a 300-MW LNG power plant will compliment solar farms in the province.

Once this is realized, we will have a sufficient power in Negros Occidental.

Although LNG comes from natural gas, it could make us the first province that is completely dependent on renewable energy, Benitez pointed out.

The SMC’s Reliance Energy Development Inc. (REDI) is proposing a 4×75-MW LNG Combined Cycle Power Plant at the San Carlos City Ecozone in Negros Occidental.

The proposed project will be constructed inside the 49-hectare property leased from Grand Planters International Inc.

REDI is targeting to start the construction of the project in the third quarter of 2023, with completion eyed in the third quarter of 2024.

Benitez said that processing of pre-feasibility study and environmental compliance certificate (ECC) application is now ongoing.*