EDC shuts down unit of Bacman geothermal for maintenance

Business World Online
Posted on July 07, 2014 10:44:24 PM

A 20-MEGAWATT (MW) unit of the Bacon-Manito (Bacman) geothermal power plant will go on a one-month scheduled shutdown starting Monday, Energy Development Corp. (EDC) said in a disclosure.
Lopez-controlled EDC, the plant’s owner and operator, said the planned outage for the third unit of the Bacman plant is intended “to replace the existing turbine generator unit with a brand new one.”

At the same time, the company will be doing “other opportunity maintenance works for the balance of the plant.”

“Preparations for the planned outage commenced as early as Jan. 29… after EDC placed an order for a replacement generator assembly following the advice of its technical team,” the listed power firm noted.

The Bacman power facility -- which straddles Bacon, Sorsogon and Manito, Albay -- consists of two 55-MW plants and a third 20-MW unit.

The two 55-MW units were shut down in March last year due to vibration issues that damaged the second unit of the plant but EDC decided to also shut down the first unit “out of prudence.”

Last month, the second 55-MW unit of the resumed commercial operations following the completion of reliability runs. The first unit has been running at its full capacity since February.

Brand new turbines and diaphragms from Toshiba will be delivered in the fourth quarter (for the first 55-MW unit) and second unit in the first quarter next year (the second 55-MW unit), according to EDC.

EDC submitted the highest bid of $28.25 million for the Bacman power facility in an auction conducted by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. in May 2010.

The company currently operates 12 power facilities in five geothermal service contract areas in the country, including the 192.5-MW Palinpinon plant in Negros Oriental and 112.5-MW Tongonan plant.

It is also involved in hydropower generation through First Gen Hydro Corp., which operates the 132-MW Pantabangan-Masiway plant in Nueva Ecija.

The firm is also building a 150-MW wind farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte -- the 87-MW portion of which is scheduled to be operational late this year, while the remaining 63 MW is expected to start operating in March next year.

First-quarter profit of EDC fell 15.36% to P2.524 billion.

Revenue rose 2.85% to P7.138 billion, while expenses jumped 17.91% to P4.377 billion.

EDC shares shed five centavos or 0.80% to end at P6.19 apiece on Monday. -- Claire-Ann Marie C. Feliciano source