Business World Online
Posted on November 21, 2014 07:35:00 PM
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The business community here welcomed the completion of a 20-megawatt bunker diesel-fired power plant, which was inaugurated last Thursday, saying that the additional capacity will help curb power disruptions of up to eight hours daily during the dry months.
Raul Josefino F. Miguel, president of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc., said the additional power supply will help normalize business operations.
“We are now assured in our business operations, and it it also a relief as well to the residents because brownouts will become rare in the city,” Mr. Miguel said.
Peakpower Soccsargen, Inc. (PSI) inaugurated on Nov. 20 its power plant built at a cost of P1 billion.
PSI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peakpower Energy Inc., a joint venture of A Brown Company Inc. (ABCI), Enterprise Holdings Corp, WorldPower Alliance Ltd and Power Mavens Holdings Ltd.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, who was present at the launching ceremony, lauded the company for responding to the need of the city, whose major product is tuna and where many canneries are located.
Mr. Petilla also cited the partnership between PSI and the South Cotabato Electric Cooperative 2 (Socoteco 2), the electricity distribution firm in the city, as a “model in narrowing supply shortfall in a locality,” noting that it will be the first power project under a local build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.
PSI will supply the plant’s output to Socoteco 2 for 15 years, after which ownership and management of the facility will be turned over to the cooperative.
“I hope we’ll have more of this initiative since this is what we need for Mindanao,” Mr. Petilla said.
The power plant, completed ahead of its January 2015 target date, has yet to go online as PSI is still awaiting clearance from the Energy Regulatory Commission.
“We are expecting the clearance to go out very soon...[Once online], the people of General Santos will have, not really zero, but reduced brownouts this Christmas season,” said PSI President Roel Z. Castro.
Socoteco 2 President Elenito C. Senit, for his part, lauded PSI for investing in the city.
“This is a dream come true for Socoteco 2,” said, Mr. Senit, adding, “We hope you (PSI) will transfer the power plant to us still in A-1 condition.” -- Romer S. Sarmiento source
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