The members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will tackle concerns on how to significantly increase the use of clean fossil fuel technology, specifically for coal and natural gas.

"Technology is the answer to the challenges facing producers and users of fossil fuels. In the United States Department of Energy, we have laid out a new 10-year, $2-billion commitment, the Clean Coal Power Initiative, to develop a new suite of clean coal technologies. This follows a decade of investment by the Department and US industry of more than $6 billion in our earlier Clean Coal Technology Program, which has brought several technologies from concepts all the way to widespread commercial use," APEC Expert Group on Clean Fossil Energy (EGCFE) chairman Scott M. Smouse said.

In a three-day meeting being held in Cebu, Smouse said the ECGFE is one of the several working groups under the APEC umbrella that regularly meets to address the concerns of its member countries, and formulate ways and means to implement cooperation development projects.

Smouse said there is a need to address the environmental challenges associated with fossil fuel use – "not only the challenge of reducing emissions of SO2 , NOx, and particulates, which have been the focus of much of our attention for the past three decades, but also the challenge associated with the global concern over carbon emissions from fossil fuels," he said.

For discussion and presentation are various clean fossil fuel policies and technologies, both proposed and implemented, in the various member countries of the APEC.

In the Philippines, the use of fossil fuel has been an integral part of the energy mix, especially in the transport and power sectors. With the use of the fuel, the country also promotes the use of technologies that help alleviate and improve the environmental impacts that would otherwise arise in the utilization of these fuels.

For discussion and presentation are various clean fossil fuel policies and technologies, both proposed and implemented, in the various member countries of the APEC.

In the Philippines, the use of fossil fuel has been an integral part of the energy mix, especially in the transport and power sectors. With the use of the fuel, the country also promotes the use of technologies that help alleviate and improve the environmental impacts that would otherwise arise in the utilization of these fuels.

For example, in coal power plants such as the ones in Cebu, clean coal technology is being used. Emissions from these facilities are very well within the limitations set by the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Also, these power plants have helped augment the supply of electricity brought about by the current deficit in capacity in the Cebu- Negros-Panay Grid. Likewise, the plants have helped boost the economic development of the communities hosting them, through the various projects implemented in these areas.

"Although there have been much concern from some sectors on the alleged effects of the use of coal and other fossil fuels for power generation, we would like to assure the public that in the Philippines, as is also the practice in other parts of the world, our use of coal for energy generation is very much within the limits set by international standards, as well as our very own Clean Air Act," Energy undersecretary and incoming National Power Corp. president Cyril Del Callar said.

Del Callar said even before these facilities are put up, they have already been subjected to various environmental clearances and compliances issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and other relevant agencies.

"There are also technologies available that are already being used here in the Philippines to improve fossil fuel utilization," Energy undersecretary Guillermo Balce, for his part, said.

Balce said the government is already looking into these technologies for possible use in government energy generation facilities to further improve its compliance with environmental rules and regulations.

The Expert Group focuses on creating a better understanding of fossil energy issues throughout the APEC region and promotes dialogue between the private sector and government. The interrelationship of technology and policy has been a theme of previous seminars and this emphasis continues in the program for this week’s seminar.

The Philippine Star