Malitbog, Mahiao plants restored–EDC

By Lenie Lectura -  July 18, 2017

LOPEZ-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) said on Monday that it has restored 200 megawatts (MW) of power-generating capacity from its geothermal power plants that were affected by the recent earthquake in Leyte.

“Restoration of EDC’s marshaling station has enabled the delivery of an aggregate 200 MW from the Malitbog Bottoming Cycle Plant, Malitbog Power Plant and Upper Mahiao Plant,” EDC said.

The company’s unified geothermal plants in Leyte are composed of the 180-MW Mahanagdong, 230- MW Malitbog, 120-MW Tongonan and 120-MW Upper Mahiao power plants. “Based on initial assessment, the Mahanagdong power plant will need to be on extended outage for repair works on damages to the structures of cooling tower units and to the plant’s substation,” EDC added. This is in addition to the earlier reported one unit each of both EDC’s Malitbog power plant and that of its wholly owned subsidiary Green Core Geothermal Inc.’s (GCGI) Tongonan power plant.

EDC is the largest geothermal energy producer in the country with 1,169MW of installed capacity.

Separately, the Department of Energy on Wednesday said that Leyte and Samar received 94.5 MW of power as of Tuesday morning.

The power distribution for the Leyte-Samar area is as follows:

• Ormoc-Baybay with 16.9 MW;
• Southern Leyte at 9.4 MW;
• Northern Leyte and Biliran at 18.6 MW;
• Samar at 5.9 MW,
• Tacloban City and Palo at 22.6 MW;
• Northern Samar and Calbayog City at 13.2MW; and
• Eastern Samar at 8.0MW.

Bohol received 39.2 MW, which included its own power generation that reached 10.5 MW.

The available supply came from EDC’s Kananga geothermal power plant with 120.9 MW, Bohol generations at 10.5 MW and Cebu shares of 10.9 MW. The severely damaged Ormoc substation can now accommodate 128.3 MW electricity supply to the city and municipal centers and most of the barangays in the affected provinces.

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Jaro, Leyte, on July 6. It caused blackout in Leyte, Samar and Bohol islands and power interruptions in Panay, Negros, and Cebu islands.

This prompted the DOE to create a special task force, which, among others, shall coordinate all rehabilitation activities of government agencies and private entities; coordinate and maintain linkages with local government units and private stakeholders to ensure fast and efficient implementation of rehabilitation efforts; monitor progress if rehabilitation efforts; make recommendations in disaster preparedness to minimize damage and destruction of facilities; and provide temporary power to affected areas. “There is a need to rationalize and expedite rehabilitation efforts in energy and power infrastructure damaged and destroyed by the earthquake and restore power services to affected areas as fast and as safely as possible,” stated Department Order 2017-07-0009 signed on July 7 by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi. The DOE order was made public 11 days later. Lenie Lectura

The task force is chaired by DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella.

The task force will, among others, consider to deploy power barges, utilize the Bohol diesel power plant, conduct an inventory of generation sets (gensets) needed to augment power supply and tap private institutions that can provide the gensets, designate collection points for the gensets, and determine the compensation for the genset owners and identify source of funds.

“The task force shall ensure that the use of alternative power suppliers shall not add burden to the consumers,” stated the order.

A progress report and a comprehensive report must be submitted to Cusi.

“This Department Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in full force until the completion of the foregoing functions,” stated the DOE order.