By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated April 19, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - Alsons Power
Group of the Alcantara family will start operating the first unit of its 2x105
megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Sarangani within the month, providing
much needed relief to the Mindanao grid.
In a statement, Alsons said its unit
Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC) has completed key tests under the commissioning
phase in preparation for commercial operations in order to immediately provide
power to key areas in Mindanao reeling from another summer of power shortages.
“Once we commence commercial
operations, SEC 1 will be able to bring in 105 MW of power to key areas in
Mindanao that will help put an end to the six year-old power shortage and
provide substantial relief to the people who have been suffering from this dire
situation,” Alsons Power vice president for project implementation and coal
operations head Nicandro Fucoy said.
SEC is now awaiting the issuance of
a certificate of compliance (COC) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
“We are confident that the ERC will
be able to issue the COC at the soonest time possible as we have already
completed all the requirements. Any delay in the start of commercial operations
would be a gross disservice to the people who have long been waiting for an end
to the power crisis,” Fucoy said.
Once SEC Section 1 starts commercial
operations, the company said it will ensure ample supply of power in Mindanao
during the May 2016 elections and beyond.
The plant will serve more than three
million residents from the provinces of Sarangani, Compostela Valley, Agusan
del Norte, and Agusan del Sur; the cities of General Santos, Iligan, Bayugan,
Butuan, Samal, and Tagum as well as key municipalities in Davao del Norte and
South Cotabato.
When it reaches its full 210-MW
capacity in 2018, the SEC plant’s coverage area will increase to more than six
million people in the entire province of South Cotabato and the provinces of
Davao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur and key areas in
Misamis Oriental and North Cotabato.
The $570-million SEC power plant is
the single largest investment in Sarangani province and the entire Region 12.
Aside from the SEC plant, Alsons
Power is constructing the 105-MW San Ramon Power Inc. coal-fired power plant in
Zamboanga City, which is targeted for completion in 2019.
The group is also entering the
renewable energy segment with the development of a 15-MW run-of-river
hydroelectric power plant at the Siguil River in Maasim, Sarangani.
No comments:
Post a Comment