SEMIRARA MINING and Power Corp. (SMPC) has secured an amended clearance from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), allowing it to proceed with its P291-billion coal mine expansion in Antique, the Consunji-led mining company said on Wednesday.
In a regulatory filing, SMPC said it had been granted an amended environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by the DENR for the expansion of the Semirara Coal Mine Complex.
An ECC is issued by the DENR to certify that a proposed project has undergone environmental review and just isn’t expected to cause significant hostile environmental impact.
The amendment allows SMPC to expand the project area from 4,369.25 hectares to five,221.75 hectares throughout the 13,000-hectare Coal Operating Contract No. 5, which was awarded to the corporate by the Department of Energy (DoE).
“The ECC amendment allows SMPC to sustain operations by including the Acacia mine alongside the currently operating Narra mine,” the corporate said.
“It also raises the annual production limit from 16 to twenty million metric tons (MMT) of coal, using the open-pit mining method, from 2025 to 2027.”
SMPC said the amendment supports its ongoing operations and is aligned with the mine plan approved by the DoE.
The corporate has earmarked P6.9 billion in capital expenditures for 2025, a significant slice of which will probably be allocated to its coal operations.
SMPC posted a 33% drop in first-quarter net income to P4.4 billion, as coal selling prices continued to normalize, partially offset by stronger performance in the facility segment.
SMPC is the country’s largest coal producer. It supplies fuel to power plants, cement factories, and other industrial facilities across the Philippines, and exports to markets including China, South Korea, and Brunei.
Shares in the corporate rose by 0.31% to shut at P32.70 apiece on Wednesday. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
