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WEDNESDAY, 22 JUNE 2011 19:35 PAUL ANTHONY A. ISLA / REPORTER
THE government-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) remains uncertain when it will bid out the National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) contracted capacity in the 559 megawatt (MW) Unified Leyte geothermal power complex.
Unified Leyte’s huge generating capacity has called the attention of some legislators who later on suggested that its contracted capacity be split into two independent power-producer administrators (IPPAs).
“We’re still currently in with the PSALM board and some lawmakers, hence nothing is final yet,” Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., PSALM president, told reporters.
The PSALM official said a number of legislators have even urged that Unified Leyte’s privatization be deferred for five years.
Ledesma said he is also in discussion internally with the PSALM board on the issues raised by lawmakers.
“Part of concerns raised is whether to divide it and its timetable for privatization,” he said.
PSALM vice chairman and Energy Sec. Jose Rene Almendras earlier said the privatization of the contracted capacity of the Unified Leyte geothermal complex will also push through as soon as Congress resolves the technical question raised over its planned privatization.
He said the technical issue pertains on how to divide or split the contracted capacity to two winning bidders without their breaching the 30- percent generation capacity limit in the Visayas grid while Unified Leyte already accounts for 54 percent of the Visayas grid.
Private-generation companies can only have a generating capacity of as much as 30 percent in a grid and 25 percent of the total generating capacity of the country’s total generating capacity.
Geothermal-giant Energy Development Corp. (EDC) operates the Unified Leyte geothermal complex which includes the 125-megawatt (MW) Upper Mahiao plant, the 232-MW Malitbog and the 180-MW Mahanagdong plants and the 51-MW Optimization plants.
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