Aboitiz Power to help Mindanao during power shortage

BUSINESS MIRROR
MONDAY, 09 JANUARY 2012 18:22 BUTCH D. ENERIO / CORRESPONDENT


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—One of the country’s leading power generators said it would maximize its capacity to lessen the shortage of power in Mindanao.
In a statement, Aboitiz Power (AP) announced that its diesel power barges in Agusan and Compostela Valley can deliver vital power to utilities to keep industries running as well as households lighted.


AP’s subsidiary Therma Marine Inc.’s (TMI) said in a statement that its power barges in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte and Maco, Compostela Valley have a total capacity of 200 megawatts (MW).


AP said that during the latest power shortage in Mindanao, the TMI barges provided vital energy to utilities like Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative (Doreco) and Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco), among others.


Jovy Batiquin, TMI chief operating officer, said that although the traditional role of diesel power barges is to run for peak hours and provide ancillary service, they are often called upon to provide back-up power for the grid.


“The diesel power plants are designed to help the grid during peak hours as we are quick to run or provide voltage regulation and can be on standby for the rest of the time.” Batiquin said.


AP said that they make sure all its generating units are ready and available all the time so when the grid is short of power, customers can depend on the delivery of power when needed, one of the critical advantages of diesel-generating units.


More than half of Mindanao’s power supply comes from the Agus-Pulangui hydropower plants in Lanao and Bukidnon.


Earlier, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said that power shortage in Mindanao was recorded at about 100 MW.


“For those who do not have embedded power plants or back-up generation units, this means several hours of brownouts.” Batiquin said.


He said that many utilities have seen the advantages of buying power from TMI since they will only need the diesel barges for a few hours during the day or during emergency shortages and they will only pay the operator for the actual power used.


Batiquin said that with the economy of Mindanao growing faster than projected, the demand for power is also increasing. But the power supply is limited as major power plants in the region will take years to develop and build. Because of this, Mindanao will have to rely on power barges such as those owned by TMI.