By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated July 29, 2017 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - Semirara
Mining and Power Corp. is engaging the services of Japanese energy and
electronics giant Toshiba Corp. to optimize the operations and extend the life
span of the Calaca power plants in Batangas with state-of-the-art technologies.
Semirara subsidiary Sem-Calaca Power
Corp. (SCPC) and long-time partner Toshiba recently entered into a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) on a partnership for the deployment of total asset
management on the coal-fired power plants.
The Japanese firm said the MOU
covers the application of internet of things (IoT) solutions to predictive
monitoring of the plant’s equipment to detect emerging problems and securing a
longer operating life.
It also includes staff training to
enhance operation and management capabilities, including repair and
maintenance.
Semirara operates the four-unit,
900-megawatt (MW) power plants – the 2x300-MW coal plant under SCPC and the
newer 2x150-MW power plant under Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. which
started operating in 2016.
Semirara and Toshiba have long been
partners since the Japanese firm delivered the steam turbine, generator and
related equipment for Unit 1 in 1984, and has subsequently provided technical
support for the plant, said Takao Konishi, vice president of the Thermal &
Hydro Power Systems & Services Division in Toshiba’s Energy Systems &
Solutions Co.
“We have worked with (Semirara parent) DMCI
Group since they took ownership of the plant, and built up a good relationship
over the years. We hope to advance this partnership further, and to enhance
customer support, by applying our cutting-edge technology, including IoT
technology, to the plant’s operation and maintenance. We hope to contribute to
power supply stability in the Philippines and to enhance customer
satisfaction,” he said.
With the Toshiba partnership,
Semirara chairman and CEO Isidro Consunji said the older power plant would have
less outages and, in turn, generate savings.
“We are very satisfied with the
technical support services that Toshiba supplies. We expect to win life-cycle
cost savings for Calaca by reducing unexpected outage, and to achieve
optimized, comprehensive and efficient operations and maintenance management
through the partnership envisaged by the MOU,” he said.
Earlier, Semirara announced a budget
of up to $190 million to rehabilitate its old Calaca plants to raise the
plants’ capacity and lessen emissions.
The upgrade, which is expected to be
completed in 2019, is cheaper than building new plants, Consunji said.
SCPC’s Unit 1 is more than 35 years
old while the other one is 30 years old.
Another expansion is currently in
the works, a 2x350-MW coal fired power plant under St. Raphael Power Generation
Corp., a joint venture between Semirara and Meralco Powergen Corp.
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