Security from the Phillipine's biggest coal fired power station, Sual, fire a warning shot to activists.
Five activists were arrested during the action at Sual power
plant, in the province of Pangasinan. The plant, which was built
with funding from the UK, France and the US, and runs on coal from
China, Indonesia and Australia was listed as one of the five most
problematic power stations in the country last week by the
Philippine Government.
Five activists from onboard our ship MV Arctic Sunrise climbed
the cranes at the Sual dock where a shipment of coal was being
unloaded and hung a banner reading "Clean Energy Now". A team of 30
activists, including teams in three inflatable boats bearing
"Choose Positive Energy" flags, were supporting the climbers, ready
to undertake further activities. The shot was fired as activists
attempted to paint on the ship unloading coal. No one was hurt. The
arrested activists, who have already been released without
charges.
"Like developing countries around the world, the Philippines is
hungry for clean, reliable power but coal-fired power stations like
Sual are not the answer," said campaigner Athena Ballesteros. "Coal
is one of the most greenhouse intensive fuels - it is dirty,
expensive and damages our climate. That's why we want investment in
renewable energy like solar, wind and modern biomass power for the
Philippines."
"Foreign interests and foreign money are dictating the
Philippines' energy policy," said Ballesteros. "People of the
Philippines have been campaigning against coal-fired power stations
like Sual for years. We don't want this dirty, conventional
technology dumped on us from rich northern countries that are more
interested in profits than our needs, or protecting our climate."
Less than 1 percent of the Philippines' energy plan includes solar
wind or modern biomass power.
Sual is typical of the carbon-based power plants the Philippines
has been developing in the past decade. It is owned by the US
subsidiary Mirant, which is the largest foreign investor in the
Philippines, and was built by Alstom, a UK and French owned
corporation. It runs on coal imported from China, Indonesia and
Australia.
"There hasn't been a new coal-fired power station built in the
UK since 1972," said Anita Goldsmith from the UK, on site at the
action. "If coal is not good enough at home, then why is Tony Blair
and the UK Government dumping this dirty, technology on developing
nations like the Philippines? It's hypocritical and scandalous of
the UK to push coal in Asia. While the UK promises to cut
greenhouse emissions at home, it is exporting more than half that
amount overseas."