Aboitiz firm completes barges rehabilitation

Manila Bulletin 
By Myrna M. Velasco 
Published: June 3, 2013 
From its acquisition in 2011, Aboitiz-led firm Therma Mobile Inc. has brought to complete rehabilitation the 242-megawatt Navotas power barges and are now ready to meet part of Luzon grid’s growing supply.
The four generating units of barge-mounted floating power plants were on “idle mode” for five years prior to their divestment to the Aboitiz group.
The company budgeted P1.9 billion for the rehabilitation of the barges.
The rehab works covered overhaul of the engines; repair of barge super-structure and deck; propping them up for dry docking; and up to the construction of a new transmission line that will connect the facility to the load network of the Manila Electric Company.
AboitizPower executive vice president and power generation group chief operating officer Antonio R. Moraza noted that “the completion of the rehabilitation of the power barges signaled the ‘rebirth’ of the power facilities.”
He likened it to “restoring old cars and bringing them back to life,” further remarking that the rehabilitation outcome at the Navotas power barges had been quite “a feat.”
“I came several times as the rehabilitation and renewal work was progressing and was literally amazed at how it was possible to get each and every component to work again as one unit,” Moraza enthused.
The power barges are designed for peak load application, and it can be offered to distribution utilities via bilateral off-take agreements as well as to other end-users or for trading via the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. 
“Once fully operational, the barges will have an aggregate deliverable generating capacity of 242MW,” the company said.
 Initially, the operating company of the barges is eyeing to supply the requirement of the Navotas fish port complex as well as neighboring areas at the plant site.
Navotas is considered as Metro Manila’s “fishery hub”, wherein the sector’s support establishments and industries like ice plants and cold storage, fish processing facilities or canneries as well as ship repair facilities are also integrated.
Aboitiz Power noted that the re-powering of the barges is well-positioned to help the fishing industry achieve “a much better future,” by reliably providing one of its most basic but very important need – electricity.  source