Coal-fired power plants not such a bad idea

Letter from Zulkhair Pasuni, Straits Times Forum 1 Jan 08

I REFER to the letter, 'Power generation - some posers for the National Environment Agency' (Online forum, Dec 25), by Mr Christopher James Thong Yew Kwong.

In the letter, the writer questioned the lack of coal-fired power plants in Singapore, and measures to ensure such highly pollutive plants are kept out of Singapore.

While I laud his environmental concerns, the fact remains that Singapore imports fuel for its power generation, and with ever rising fuel prices, Singaporeans will continue to bear the brunt of increasing power prices, as highlighted by Friday's new round of tariff increase.

Much as the Government does not believe in continuously handing out subsidies to the heartlanders affected by record inflation, it has a duty of looking at feasible alternatives to mitigate impending burdens on the citizens due to similar hikes.

In this aspect, let me highlight why I think the prospect of a coal-fired power plant does not seem to be such a bad idea.

From an economic standpoint, coal is cheaper than gas and fuel which currently power our generation plants. Cheaper fuel will eventually lower power tariffs to a more affordable level, easing the burden of many Singaporeans.

From a political standpoint, we are on good terms with neighbours who possess abundant coal reserves. This protects us from supply instability and price fluctuations.

More importantly, from an environmental and safety standpoint, coal plants are not as pollutive as they were even 10 years ago. For a start, it is definitely safer than nuclear power, an idea currently being considered by our neighbours. Furthermore, clean coal technology has its proven benefits, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions such that that it becomes comparable to that of conventional power plants.

So shouldn't we start looking at coal as an alternative?

Let the private power players evaluate the feasibility of coal-powered plants. The relevant authorities should render assistance by removing unnecessary barriers to the introduction of cheaper fuel source for power generation, as long as it meets accepted environmental standards. Maybe a clear response to Mr Thong's second question will help shed some light to the situation, which I reproduce below:

'Is there clear legislation on what emissions are allowed for power generation in Singapore, and where can these be found? Are these clear enough for companies to evaluate the shift to a cheaper fuel in their quest to produce cheaper electricity?'

There is a significant number of the less fortunate among us who could barely withstand round after round of price hikes.