Napocor acquires 10 gensets

MANILA, Philippines—National Power Corp. (Napocor) has spent P77 million to acquire 10 additional units of 600-kilowatt modular diesel generator sets to improve the reliability of electricity supply in various far-flung, off-grid areas.

In a statement, Napocor said it had awarded the contract for the supply, delivery, installation, test and commissioning of the gensets to Thermopower Inc., which submitted the lowest complying bid in an auction held last year. The 10 gensets will be distributed to off-grid areas where the Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) of Napocor operates. These include Ticao in Masbate, Roxas in Palawan, Dinagat in Surigao del Norte, Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat and Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi in Tawi-Tawi.

The SPUG is the missionary electrification arm of Napocor, which is tasked to provide electricity in isolated areas that are not connected to any of the country’s three main grids.

The distribution of the gensets is part of the 2013-2018 Missionary Electrification Plan, which serves as the blueprint of where missionary electrification actions should take place in the next five years.

Other projects that have already  been auctioned off include the remaining rehabilitation works of the 43.42 kilometer Mobo–Aroroy and the construction of the 76 km Mobo-Cataingan transmission lines that will enhance the delivery of power in the island of Masbate. Napocor said it had earmarked P399 million for both transmission projects.

The Napocor-SPUG also maintains transmission systems in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Catanduanes and Marinduque.—Amy R. Remo