Challengers invited to top bid for Mindanao coal concession areas

THE Energy department said it is seeking challengers for a bid put in by a coal trading company for seven coal blocks in northeastern Mindanao.

“This is to inform the public that the Grand Thermal Power Corp. is applying for 40-L-249, 40-L-250, 40-L-251, 40-L-252, 40-L-253, 40-L-290 and 40-L-293 Coal Blocks located in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, and Trento, Agusan del Sur,” the Department of Energy (DoE) said in its Invitation to Challenge posted on its website on Jan. 28.

Bacolod-based Grand Thermal is one of 77 coal traders accredited by the DoE as of Nov. 30. Its main coal supplier is KCAL Coal Centre, Inc., according to the department.

����ý queried the DoE for more details on the application, but it had not replied at deadline time.

The pre-submission conference was set for Feb. 3. Interested parties must pay a non-refundable P200,000 to the DoE’s Treasury Division upon submission of the challenge application to the DoE Records Management Division on or before March 15. The challenge follows the procedures set in the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program Guidelines.

The DoE estimates the supply of coal in 2020 was 42.476 metric tons of coal, with 69.51% of the total imported. — Marielle C. Lucenio