Aboitiz unit completes rehab of Navotas barges

MANILA, Philippines—A unit of Aboitiz Power Corp. has completed the rehabilitation of four power barges moored at the fish port complex in Navotas City, allowing it to contribute a total of 242 megawatts to the Luzon grid.

In a statement issued over the weekend, APC said its wholly owned subsidiary Therma Mobile Inc. had recently inaugurated the four Navotas power barges, which are bunker C-fired diesel plants.

“You know how people like to restore old cars and bring them back to life? Well, we did, some of them all at once. What a feat. I came several times as the rehabilitation and renewal work was progressing and was literally amazed at how it was possible to get each and every component to work again as one unit,” said APC executive  vice president and power generation group chief operating officer Antonio R. Moraza.

Moraza added that the completion of the rehabilitation of the power barges signaled the “rebirth” of the power facilities.

Therma Mobile acquired in May 2011 the four units of barge-mounted floating power plants now moored at the Fishport Complex in Navotas City for P2.3 billion. At that time, the barges had not been operating for five years.

A power barge is a floating power plant that can be towed to and moored in different areas. Transfers, however, require meticulous preparations and permits from various agencies.

Meanwhile, Navotas assistant port manager Custodio Balaoing noted that the “operation of the barges at Navotas is envisioned to provide sufficient and quality power supply at the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) areas.”

Specifically, the power barges can ensure power at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, where various fisheries-related establishments and support industries like ice plants and cold storage, fish processing facilities or canneries and shipbuilding or ship repair facilities are located, Balaoing added.—Amy R. Remo