Mon State Parliament agreed on Tuesday to debate the legality of a cement factory’s coal-fired power plant in Mon State’s Kyaikmayaw Township, according to local press reports.

The US$400m cement factory run by Mawlamyine Cement Ltd (MCL) – a joint venture between Thai firm Siam Cement Group (SCG) and Pacific Link Cement Industries – is powered by a 49MW coal-fired power plant.

The proposal to debate the issue was submitted by Mon State lawmaker U Aung Kyaw Thu who stated that ‘local and foreign investors failing to abide by laws damaged the dignity of the new government.’

Last month, the committee for the assessment of financial, planning and economic matters in the Mon State Parliament asked the Ministry of Electricity and Energy about the coal-fired power facilities at the cement factory.  The ministry replied that it had not approved power generation with coal.

However, MCL managing director Mr Surachai Pornjindachote said in a statement on 29 August that the cement factory received permission from the Mon State Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection to run a 20MW coal-fired turbine valid from January 2017 to 15 February 2018. (Source: The Irrawaddy Online).