Storm renders 650-MW EDC plant inoperable

MANILA, Philippines—Facilities constituting the 650-megawatt (MW) Unified Leyte Geothermal Power Plant (ULGPP) are now inoperable because of the damage wreaked by supertyphoon “Yolanda,” Energy Development Corp. (EDC) said.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, EDC said it would try to restore the facilities “at the soonest possible time.”

Apart from the cooling system of the 125-MW Upper Mahiao Power Plant, the cooling towers of the 232.5-MW Malitbog, 180-MW Mahanagdong, and 112.5-MW Tongonan 1 power facilities sustained significant damage, the company said. The control systems of Tongonan, Mahanagdong and Upper Mahiao were also damaged.

“Consequently, none of the main power plants constituting the 650 MW are currently operable,” EDC said.

The small optimization facilities consisting of the 15-MW Tongonan Topping Cycle and the 16-MW Malitbog Bottoming Cycle are now being assessed, EDC added.

The initial inspection on Nov. 8 showed that the supertyphoon took its toll on EDC’s geothermal power facilities in Leyte and Negros Oriental provinces, the company earlier said.

ULGPP’s output was recently auctioned off by state-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM).

The ULGPP is covered by a power purchase agreements between EDC and the National Power Corp., whose generation assets are being privatized by PSALM.

EDC’s Leyte Geothermal Production Field (LGPF) supplies the steam used by ULGPP and Tongonan I for power generation.

EDC said the steamfield lines appeared to be operable despite sustaining “manifest damage.” Almost all of the company’s buildings were damaged to some extent.

Although EDC reported that all its employees had been accounted for, less than 30 percent managed to report back to work.

“The company has formally written the National Power Corp. pursuant to the relevant force majeure provisions,” EDC said.

The power firm of the Lopez group acquired the Palinpinon and Tongonan geothermal plants in 2009.