Consunji group moves to fortify coal mine, cement businesses
Consunji-led Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) is bullish about maintaining its control over the sector even if it fails to regain a fresh contract over its flagship coal mine site.
This was as the Consunjis’ cement manufacturing arm, Concreat Holdings Philippines Inc., expressed confidence it could turn around operations within three years, as management rolled out a multipronged recovery plan anchored on efficiency, cost control and capacity optimization.
SMPC president Maria Cristina Gotianun highlighted at the virtual annual stockholders’ meeting that the group was preparing the “best mine plan” as the government readies a coal auction, originally targeted within 2026.
Officials at the meeting were also asked about the possibility of losing the Semirara coal contract. Despite heightened uncertainties, especially as the Department of Energy decided to defer the submission of bidding documents, Gotianun took this chance to again underscore SMPC’s 30-year expertise in the market.
“With this expertise, we’re putting forward a mine plan that keeps production steady, supports energy security and continues delivering for the government,” she added.
Gotianun is also banking on “the more supportive direction of responsible mining.”
This, she said, gave SMPC “the flexibility to redeploy our capabilities, people and capital across other opportunities in the sector where we can contribute to create value.”
The Semirara coal contract has been with the company for about 50 years, but will lapse in July 2027. The site accounts for more than 90 percent of domestic coal production.
SMPC sought a 13-year extension, but was later rejected by the Department of Justice. While the government is putting the mine site for bidding, SMPC chair Isidro Consunji said, “We will approach this constructively and with confidence, with a focus on continuity of operations.”
Meanwhile, Concreat president and CEO Herbert Consunji said they remained “very, very confident” about meeting the three-year turnaround target, with 2026 seen as a critical transition year.
“This year, our target is to be operating cash positive,” Consunji said. “We’ll be able to attain it in the sense that we have prepared ourselves, our soft and hard assets, to address this.”
Concreat will push commercial efforts by promoting its ordinary portland cement products, focusing on core markets and maximizing new production capacity.
