Aboitiz: 340-MW Toledo plant ready by early 2018

The newest power plant of generation firm Aboitiz Power Corp. is expected to begin commercial operations early next year, with the company saying that construction of the facility in southwestern Cebu is progressing according to schedule.

In a statement, AboitizPower said the 340-megawatt (MW) thermal power plant in Toledo City owned by subsidiary Therma Visayas Inc. is now 90-percent complete and is “expected to enter commercial operations in early 2018.”

Dubbed the Therma Visayas Energy Project (TVEP), the plant will provide additional base load power to support the continued growth of Cebu and the rest of the Visayas, the company said.

At the same time, AboitizPower said the ongoing construction of the facility has reached 10 million safe work hours with no time lost on incidents resulting in injury for its personnel.

Therma Visayas project director Grant Smith said the “significant achievement” was achieved through the “exceptional teamwork and attention to detail” by TVEP, its contractors and sub-contractors, all of whom followed the correct safety procedures.

“Therma Visayas does not compromise on safety,” he said. “Safety governs every aspect of how we do business. I am very proud of our impressive achievement and I would like to acknowledge the determination and hard work of the project management team, contractors, subcontractors and site workers for making this incredible milestone possible. I would like to congratulate the team for a job well done and I’m looking forward to more man hours without [accidents].”

Smith noted that since the beginning of the project, the people behind TVEP have shown professionalism and a collective approach to health and safety with a willingness to strive for continuous improvement.

Safety is a top priority of the project with the Therma Visayas site team, project engineers, contractor Galing Power & Energy Construction Co., Inc. and subcontractors SB Construction and EEI Corporation working together to ensure a zero-harm work environment for everyone.

“Considering the size of the project and the large number of different contractors and [over 2,000] people on site, achieving this milestone was a real challenge,” Smith said.