Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) has obtained an amended Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), enabling the strategic expansion of its coal mine operations within its 13,000-hectare contract area.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, SMPC confirmed that the amended ECC authorizes the inclusion of the Acacia mine alongside the currently active Narra mine. This adjustment increases the project area from 4,369.25 hectares to 5,221.75 hectares and raises the company’s annual coal production limit from 16 to 20 million metric tons (MT) between 2025 and 2027.
“This amendment is critical to sustaining our operations as we transition from the depleting Molave and Narra pits,” the company said, noting that the Molave pit ceased operations in November 2023 and the Narra pit is expected to reach end-of-life by 2026.
The clearance is a key development for SMPC, the country’s only vertically-integrated power producer that mines its own fuel. It comes amid a shifting market environment; in 1Q 2025, SMPC reported a 33 percent year-on-year decline in net income to ₱4.4 billion due to normalized coal prices, though this was partially offset by gains in its power generation segment.
Coal production rose 16 percent year-on-year in the same quarter, reaching 5.7 million MT, supported by improved seam access in the Narra mine.
The ECC amendment reinforces SMPC’s commercial resilience and operational continuity, positioning it to meet future demand while optimizing its integrated energy value chain.
