business mirror
WEDNESDAY, 02 MAY 2012 19:21 MANUEL T. CAYON / REPORTER
DAVAO CITY—The Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) said it was only awaiting the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission on its purchase of diesel-fired power from the Aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. to reduce brownouts in the area.
Cotelco General Manager Godofredo Hormez said last week Cotelco and TMI signed a power supply agreement on Feb. 24 yet and a government rule on power purchases required the contracting parties have to send the contract to the ERC for approval.
Hormez said the contract stipulates that Cotelco would buy eight megawatts (MW) of power from TMI, operator of the two power barges that run on bunker fuel.
The purchase would cover the further curtailment of power as the National Power Corp. had to shut down Pulangi IV hydroelectric plant in Maramag, Bukidnon to repair the eroded portion of the water channel of the dam. The repair would take at most four weeks.
The Pulangi power plant has a rate capacity of 255 MW but it was only producing 140 MW.
North Cotabato was sustaining four hours of brownout before, implemented in a rotation basis and divided at two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon or evening.
Last month, it has improved though only two hours and 30 minutes only.
Hormez belied claims TMI power would cost consumers about P16 per kilowatt (kw) hour.
“TMI did not refuse to deliver power to Cotelco and they are not charging us P16.11 per kw. It is more like P9 per kwh. More than 90 percent of the rate is for fuel charges which is pass-through rate. Only 10 percent will go to TMI,” Hormez said in a statement dated April 26.
“The rate [of P9 per kwh] is the same rate charged to all electric cooperatives under contract with TMI.” source
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