Published
By Myrna M. Velasco
Listed firm PHINMA
Energy Corporation is doing another round of pencil-pushing for its planned
three (3) combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power facilities to run on
liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel.
This was indicated to
media by PHINMA Energy President Francisco L. Viray, noting that they are
prompted on this technology option as the need for baseload capacity, often
powered by coal technology, is now saturated in the Philippine energy market.
The planned LNG
facilities are the 383-megawatt (MW) project in Sta. Ana within Port Irene in
Cagayan Valley province; another 383MW in Sual, Pangasinan; and a proposed
138MW LNG facility in Argao, Cebu.
The rule-of-thumb for
LNG-fired power projects on upfront capital outlay basis would be at $2.0
million per megawatt, but since the planned capacities are of smaller scale,
the cost per megawatt may run comparatively higher.
Gas could viably serve
the mid-merit capacity requirements of an electricity system, and that is a
sphere perceived to be still lacking in the development milieu of power plant
developments.
Viray said that would
be part of the study that they will be fleshing out, but he emphasized that at
the same time, they are banking on the improved efficiency of the more advanced
gas technologies that are already being deployed in the market.
With CCGT technology,
the plant developer would be able to generate electricity from the combined
force of gas and steam turbines, hence, generally increasing the efficiency of
the power facility.
On the siting, the
PHINMA Energy chief explained that “a gas plant would often need to be near a
port” especially with the portended importation of LNG supply for the proposed
facilities. Another item in the company’s to-do list would be undertaking
system impact study (SIS) on the targeted projects.
The proposed LNG
ventures will be pursued along with the 21.6-megawatt Ilog hydropower project
in Mabinay, Negros Oriental that is also in the Del Rosario-led firm’s forward
investment blueprint.
Alongside these would
be the previously cast expansion of their wind plant in the Visayas as well as
a plunge into solar capacity installations.
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