Fukushima incident not expected to affect TeaM Energy PHL plans

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SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2011 17:09 PAUL ANTHONY A. ISLA / REPORTER

TEAM Energy Corp.—the joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Corp. (Tepco) and Marubeni Corp.— plans to put up more power generation facilities in the country, Federico Puno, the company president told reporters.

“Despite the problems brought about by nuclear power plant incident in Fukushima [Japan], we are still committed to put up power projects. The Fukushima incident does not affect TeaM Energy’s plan to put up greenfield projects and its plans to expand the Sual and Pagbilao power plants,” the TeaM Energy official said.

Puno said they are looking at the possibility of setting up two units of 300-MW coal-fired power plant boilers, “anywhere in the Luzon grid.”

The company has yet to complete the feasibility study for the project. Timing is seen as critical since a number of power plants are expected to come onstream between 2013 and 2016.
Puno earlier said they are looking at five areas in northern Luzon for the planned mini-hydropower plant projects, which could each generate at least 5 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

Apart from mini-hydropower plants, the company is also planning to put up a 10-MW solar power farm in Batangas and another one in Bulacan.  The solar farms will be connected directly to their prospective off-takers, which is an industrial plant. He declined to identify the company.

In terms of investments for TeaM Energy’s renewable energy portfolio, Puno said he could not provide details since they are still completing the feasibility studies.

Puno said they are also considering putting up an 11-MW biomass power plant in Quezon that will use coconut leaves and husks as feedstock. 

Apart from expanding its renewable energy portfolio, Puno said they are also looking at expanding the current capacity of the Pagbilao and Sual coal-fired power plants.

“We want to expand Sual and Pagbilao to take advantage of the common facilities such as the pier, and the water treatment plant. Unlike greenfield projects that cost around $1.5 to $2.5 million per MW to build, the expansion of Pagbilao and Sual will only cost us $1 million to $1.2 million, which gives us advantage,” he said.

TeaM Energy acquired the assets of Mirant Corp. in the Philippines in 2007, which included the Pagbilao and Sual plants and a 20 percent stake in the Ilijan gas project operated by Korea Electric Power Co.