CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City has received proposal for a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) on an P80-billion energy powerplant and subterranean utility tunneling system.
Disaster Council Chairperson, Lawyer Gerry Carillo, said that a company called Cosmo Energy, is proposing to build a mix-energy source plant that could provide 200 megwatts of power.
Cosmo is proposing to use gas turbines, solar panels, and wind turbines as source of energy that would reduce the cost of electricity in Cebu City from P14 to P9 or P7 per kilowatt hour.
The company is also willing to build subterranean tunnels for utilities and telecommunication companies (telcos) so that there will no longer be poles and wires visible along the street and they would be protected during calamities such as storms.
Carillo said that there are other companies proposing a JVA for subterranean tunnels and the Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC) are reviewing all these possible projects.
The Disaster Council welcome the quick response of the private sector to the calls of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for Cebu City to have its own powerplants.
READ: Cebu City needs its own powerplant, install utilities underground — Rama
Carillo said that after Typhoon Odette ravaged the city, they found a need to secure energy supply, the power line, communication lines, and water supply.
“After Odette, the power is down, the water is out, ug daghan kaayo sa atong panimalay nga nangaguba. Two months after, nakarecover na sa atong tubig but power lines are vulnerable. Mao na we agreed and proposed to the mayor nga we have the wires should be underground including power and telcos,” said Carillo.
Long overdue
The city actually has an existing ordinance since 2008 for subterranean utility lines. However, no utility or telco would take up the cost of digging tunnels and transferring their lines from poles to undergrounds.
Visayan Electric started at Osmeña Boulevard, but due to the cost of building the tunnels, they were not able to continue in the rest of the city.
“Subterranean tunnels is long overdue. There was an ordinance in 2008 and we haven’t moved an inch nga maglaunch ta og tunnels,” said the chairman.
The Disaster Council notes that it is important that only one system of tunnels should exist in the city because if each utility creates their own, this may cause problems when the city or Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) conduct infrastructure projects.
With the proposed JVAs on the construction of these subterranean tunnels, Carillo said the city will find the best deal that would not cost telcos and utilities much so that this cost will not be passed on to the consumers.
Currently, the proposals are still being reviewed by the JVSC and none have yet been given a first proponent status.
/bmjo
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