Published September 26, 2019, 10:00
PM By Myrna
M. Velasco
Amid tight supply scare, the Energy
Regulatory Commission (ERC) had fast-tracked the issuance of a provisional
authority (PA) to temporarily serve as the license-to-operate for the
500-megawatt (MW) San Buenaventura power facility in Quezon province at least
for the initial duration of six months.
The power plant is a joint venture
of Meralco PowerGen, the power generation arm of Manila Electric Company
(Meralco); and New Growth B.V., a corporate vehicle of Thai firm EGCO group for
the project.
The facility’s net-generating
capacity is at 455MW, but its total rated capacity as stipulated in provisional
authority to operate – which is a precursor to a certificate of compliance
(COC) – is at 528.12 megawatts.
In a correspondence sent to San
Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co. (SBPL) General Manager Frank Thiel, ERC Chairperson
Agnes T. Devanadera stated that “after due deliberations by the Commission on
24 September 2019, the Commission granted a provisional authority to operate
(PAO) for the aforementioned generating facility of SBPL for period of six
months from 24 September 2019 to 23 March 2020.”
The provisional permit, according to
the ERC had been granted, but SBPL has yet to comply with four more conditions
before it could be issued with its final COC. These include: The transfer of
permit to operate (PTO) air pollution source installations from the EPC
(engineering, procurement and construction) contractor Daelim to SBPL; the
renewal of wastewater discharge permit which is expiring on November 13, 2019;
compliance to conditions stipulated under the conditional water permit issued
by the National Water Resources Board; and certificate of final approval to
connect from National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on or before
March 20, 2020.
The ERC emphasized that it was
prompted on issuing the provisional operating permit given threats of possible
supply tightening with the scheduled maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas
production facility next month.
The regulatory body has reminded
SBPL though that in line with the prescriptions of the Electric Power Industry
Reform Act (EPIRA), “generation companies should have obtained all the
necessary health, safety and environmental clearances from appropriate
government agencies before the Commission grants the issuance of COC/PAO.”
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