150-MW Therma South plant now online
Aboitiz Power Corp. said the first 150-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station of its subsidiary, Therma South Inc. (TSI), was now on full commercial operations.
Starting Sept. 18, 2015, the power plant will deliver contracted power to its more than 20 customers—electric cooperatives and distribution utilities all over Mindanao.
Therma South president and COO Benjamin A. Cariaso Jr. said the company had informed its customers and stakeholders that the first of two 150-MW plants was now supplying Mindanao with reliable and cost-effective baseload power.
“We are here not only to help Mindanao solve the current power crisis. The Aboitiz group is committed to helping Mindanao sustain its economic growth and fulfill its potential,” Cariaso said.
The second 150-MW unit is scheduled for commercial operations in early 2016. The power plant started construction in 2012 and, at its peak, employed more than 4,500 workers, mostly from its host communities.
It is the first major power plant added to the Mindanao grid since 2006.
The power plant also features the first “coal dome” in Southeast Asia—a modern coal storage facility that will ensure security of the fuel and safety and well-being of the surrounding areas.
The power plant will use circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology to ensure it meets government standards on health, safety and protection of the environment while operating in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
The power plant will supply power to major cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Gen. Santos, Butuan, Kidapawan Cotabato and Tagum. It will also serve the provinces of Davao, Caraga, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, parts of Bukidnon, parts of Misamis and parts of Zamboanga peninsula. Riza T. Olchondra
