Aboitiz set to complete vital projects in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines—Aboitiz Power Corp. is on track to completing P35 billion worth of projects in Mindanao, which can deliver over 300 megawatts of much-needed power to the electricity-starved island by 2015.

In a statement issued Saturday, Aboitiz Power said its wholly owned subsidiary Therma South Inc. would beef up the workforce now constructing the 300-MW coal-fired facility in southern Davao City.

To date, the company has close to 1,000 workers on the construction site, and may deploy more people in the next few months.

“Thanks to the support of our host barangay and local government units, as well as various government agencies, we are on our way in meeting our committed completion target in 2015,” said Therma South president and COO Benjamin A. Cariaso Jr. “This power plant will hopefully bring a long-term solution to ongoing power crisis, by providing 300 MW of reliable baseload power to Mindanao power users through the electric cooperatives which have and will sign up with us.”

Therma South is using the latest circulating fluidized-bed combustion technology to ensure that the clean coal power plant will meet stringent government health and environment standards.

Another wholly owned subsidiary, Hedcor Inc., is making substantial progress in the construction of Tudaya 1 and 2 run-of-river hydropower plants, with more than 300 people now working on the two sites in Astorga and Sibulan, both in Sta. Cruz Davao del Sur.

These facilities are expected to generate a total of 13 MW of reliable and renewable power, when completed in 2014.

“Aside from our goal of supplying renewable power to our customers, we have given livelihood opportunities and development projects to our far-flung host communities, which make us extra proud of our project,” Hedcor COO Rene B. Ronquillo said.

According to Ronquillo, Hedcor is also in the planning stages of several other projects that will add more renewable capacity to the grid over the medium term. It currently supplies 155 MW of renewable hydropower to both Luzon and Mindanao.

At present, a large portion of Mindanao continues to suffer rotating brownouts, lasting two to four hours each day. As of Saturday, the Mindanao grid registered a power supply deficit of 184 MW.

This power supply shortage is expected to worsen in the coming summer months, given the ensuing low water levels in Lake Lanao. The Department of Energy earlier estimated that the shortfall could reach up to 200 MW.