Magat plant repairs done by mid-2014

SN Aboitiz Power-Magat, Inc. (SNAP-Magat) is set to complete the rehabilitation of the 360-megawatt Magat hydro power plant for optimal performance.

This is seen to boost power resources in Luzon ahead of 2015, a period of tight power supply as new large-scale power plants have yet to be built.

“We put it down the middle of January of this year and we expect that to be running early June or earlier than that,” SNAP president Emmanuel Rubio told reporters, referring to the last unit of Magat to be overhauled.

SNAP-Magat is working on Unit 1 of the power plant, with electro-mechanical equipment being replaced at a total cost of about P500 million. When completed, the facility will be good as new.

Company VP for corporate services Michael Hosillos said three units of the hydro power plant were earlier refurbished at a cost of about P1.3 billion.

In 2009, SNAP began the refurbishment project with Unit 2, which was overhauled that same year. Work on Unit 4 followed in Nov. 2010 and was completed in 2011. Unit 3 was completed in 2013.

SNAP-Magat is Aboitiz Power’s joint venture company with SN POWER, a leading Norwegian hydropower company with projects and operations in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

On Dec. 14, 2006, SNAP-Magat participated in and won the bid for the 360-MW Magat hydroelectric power plant for $530 million.

The Magat hydroelectric power plant, at the border of Isabela and Ifugao provinces in northern Luzon, was completed in 1983. It is suitable as a peaking plant since it can be started up quickly to provide electricity during times of high demand.