Palace key to Mindanao getting 1,265 megawatts

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TUESDAY, 24 APRIL 2012 20:56 MANUEL T. CAYON / REPORTER

DAVAO CITY—Malacañang authorizing deployment of power barges, operation of mothballed power plants and rehabilitation of existing plants could make immediately available some 1,265 megawatts to Mindanao, according to the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

MinDa said on Tuesday additional power could come later from government projects and from those under the Public-Private Partnership Program.

It added that the Palace could approve the dispatch of five power barges—three stationed in Iloilo, one in Navotas City in Metro Manila and one in Tibungco, north of here—to ease the power crisis in Mindanao.

Power Barge (PB) 101, PB 102 and PB 103, all in Iloilo and which were auctioned off last week, each has a capacity of 32 mw. PB 104 in Tibungco also has a capacity of 32 mw. 

MinDA recommended the immediate operation of Iligan Diesel Power Plant in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, which had been temporarily sidelined by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) and the city government of Iligan battling for control of the power plant.

The Commission on Audit has stepped into the fight over the 100-megawatt  plant, which, when allowed to operate, is expected to generate 96 mw.  

For the medium and long terms, the participants to the Mindanao Power Summit here on April 13 pushed for private-sector initiated projects involving three coal-fired power plants that they said would generate 950 mw.

That of Conal Holdings Inc. has a potential capacity of 200 mw; that of  Aboitiz 300 mw; and that of the Ayala group, 300 mw. 

Construction of Agus 3, a new power plant along Agus River, for $350 million, would generate 225 mw. 

A flood-control project in the Baloi plains in Lanao del Norte costing P1.5 billion would produce 80 mw.

Rehabilitation of Agus 6 with a recently approved P2.59 billion budget would add 10 mw.

MinDA said  21 power-generation projects in the pipeline would double the total capacity of the Mindanao grid to 1,828 mw. Half of this total new capacity would be accounted for by the three coal-fired power plants, which had been approved and granted permits and licenses and are expected to start operating by 2015.

Also planned for construction is Pulangi 5 power plant, which would generate 300 mw.

Pulangi 4 is running at Maramag, Bukidnon. 

Other bigger plants would be Bulanog-Batang in Talakag, Bukidnon, with 132 mw; two Zamboanga coal-fired plants, 100 mw and 200 mw, respectively; two Tagoloan  hydroelectric plants in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, 68 mw and 20 mw, respectively;  EDC Mindanao Geothermal, 50 mw; expanded Mt. Apo geothermal unit,  50 mw; and Lake Mainit geothermal plant, 50 mw.    source