Aseagas keeps plant shut

Aseagas Corp. is keeping shut its 8.8-megawatt biomass plant in Batangas due to the unavailability of input from its supplier, according to its parent firm Aboitiz Power Corp.

AboitizPower wholly owns Aseagas through Aboitiz Renewables Inc., the former’s holding company for its investments in renewable energy.

Aseagas first sent notice of the plant’s temporary shutdown on Nov. 24, citing the lack of supply of organic effluent wastewater from Absolut Distillers Inc.

Yesterday, AboitizPower said the shutdown was being maintained “(a)fter evaluating the circumstances and the ongoing technical problems relating to the plant’s fuel stock and digester components.”

The move will also allow Aseagas to determine the appropriate way forward, the parent firm said.

“This continued shutdown will allow us to look at our options, taking into consideration the interests of all our stakeholders,” AboitizPower president and chief operating officer Antonio R. Moraza said in a statement.

“Despite these challenges, our other projects are progressing as planned,” Moraza added.

He said about 500 MW of attributable capacity, mainly from baseload and hydropower plants, would come online in 2018.