Published
February 14, 2020, 10:00 PM By MYRNA M. VELASCO
The
multi-phased power plant project of Razon group-owned Prime Power Middle East
(PPME) has kicked off commercial operations this month for the initial phase of
the gas-fired generating facility.
The
power plant, according to the company, is designed to deliver baseload or
round-the-clock electricity service to Umm Qasr Ports Authority Zone, which is
in the Basra, Iraq.
Prime
Power Chairman and CEO Enrique Razon Jr. indicated that their company’s
greenfield power venture in Umm Qasr port, “is a testament to the potential of
Iraq,” amid the lingering geopolitical and social challenges that the war-torn
country is still confronted with.
The
project, according to Filipino billionaire Razon who has been touted for his
port investments all over the world, was concretized via a joint operation
framework with General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI), in which the parties
agreed to utilize the natural gas resource development of Basra governate for
the fuel needs of the power facility.
“We
see this plant as the first phase of many as we continue to be long-term
investors in Iraq and to contribute to its economic and social development,”
Razon stressed.
As
cast on blueprint, the first phase of the project which has already been
advanced to commercial commissioning was 29.3MW; while phase 2 will bring its
capacity higher to 68.4MW.
Prime
Power further emphasized that its Iraq electricity-generating venture still has
a room for capacity expansion up to 150MW.
The
gas-fed power facility utilizes three of the latest version of Wartsila
W20V34SG engines, which enables it to have “fast start capability to be able to
provide power to the GCPI grid within 30 seconds.”
The
project developer firm added the facility is “fully automated with the latest
control system allowing stable electricity generation to the Umm Qasr port
grid.”
The
power plant investment deal was first set on the negotiations table with the
Iraqi government in 2016 – the period when the country was suffering from
supply shortages.
Then
in May 2018, Prime Power inked a 23-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with
GCPI for the off-take of the electricity to be generated by the gas-fired
plant, which has been designed to be integrated with a distribution system to
support the port industrial zone as well as proximate cities.
Guillaume
Lucci, president and COO of Prime Power, indicated that the completion of the
project’s phase 1 was done in less than a year, hence, this is considerably “a
significant milestone in Prime Power’s strategy to build up an infrastructure
portfolio that delivers fast and critical investments to regions in need.”
The
company added it will soon move forward with the facility’s phase 2 by the last
quarter of this year, so Prime Power could even have “greater contribution to
the Iraq power market.”
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