Sunstar Davao
Monday, May 12, 2014
ABOITIZPOWER subsidiary Therma Marine Inc, (TMI) announced its continued 24-hour operations as the power supply situation in Mindanao worsens this summer.
TMI president and COO Jovy P. Batiquin said that all of TMI’s customers -- 22 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities in Mindanao -- are calling on the barges to supply their full contracts, mostly for 24 hours amid precarious supply from NPC-Psalm.
Therma Marine operates two floating power barges -- in Maco, Compostela Valley and in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. The two barges combine for 200 megawatts (MW).
Therma Marine supplies 30 MW to Davao Light and Power Co., 15 MW to Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, 12 MW to the Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative and 6 MW to Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative.
It also serves cooperatives as far sa Zamboanga peninsula, Caraga, Socksargen, Cotabato and northern Mindanao.
From a capacity factor of 29 percent in January, the barges are now at almost 100 percent capacity factor with availability at percent; which means the barges have responded to its customers 100 percent of the time, according to its records.
Capacity factor is the measure of the power plants' utilization while availability is the measure of the plants' ability to run whenever needed.
“Our challenge now is to ensure our power plants are operating optimally and we have enough fuel supply to meet the demand for power," Batiquin said. "We have set our team members work schedules so there we are on top shape every hour of every day."
Traditionally utilized as a peaking power plant, Therma Marine has been operating lately as more of a baseload plant with Mindanao experiencing an acute shortage in power.
Some 90 percent of Therma Marine's power rates to its customers are for fuel costs, which is a pass through rate. The remaining 10 percent covers the capital recovery, maintenance, salaries, spare parts costs, among others.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 13, 2014. source
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