Ayala pushes Mindanao Power Project

Manila Bulletin 
By Myrna M. Velasco 
Published: August 1, 2013 
AC Energy Holdings, Inc. (ACEHI) which is the power generation arm of Ayala Corporation will be investing in Mindanao for up to 405 megawatts of thermal-fired electricity generation facilities.
The company, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), emphasized that the planned power projects will be done for three phases at 135MW capacity each.
The proposed facilities, it added, will be pushed forward into implementation via a joint venture deal with Power Partners Ltd. Co, which according to the list of the Department of Energy (DOE) is a special purpose project company of GNPower Philippines.
GNPower is the developer of the 600-megawatt coal power facility in Mariveles, Bataan. The Ayala group first became a partner to GNPower after its acquisition of 17.1-percent equity in the former’s coal project for $155 million.
For their expansion venture in Mindanao, AC Energy Holdings bared that a joint venture agreement was signed Wednesday (July 31) for them “to build and operate a 3X135-megawatt thermal power plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.”
For some time, GNPower has been reportedly in talks with the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO) to prospectively underpin the power utilities’ bid for having an aggregated power supply source that can serve their requirements for the long term.
No immediate details can be obtained though if this budding development of the Ayala-GNPower partnership is still aligned with AMRECO’s solicitation for tenders on its envisioned power provider.
The Ayala group, on its own, has been briskly expanding its power generation portfolio – via combined developments of conventional energy sources as well as those on renewable energy.
It has been in partnership with the power unit of the Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corporation for a two-phased coal plant project in Calaca, Batangas.
The facility which will bring in total capacity of 270MW (at 135-MW capacity each) will form part of the much-needed supply additions for the Luzon grid next year and in 2015.
The Ayala power development arm also unveiled earlier its wind generation expansion plunge via the 81-MW Caparispisan-Pagudpud project that it will jointly undertake with Northern Luzon UPC Asia Corporation.   source