The Board of Investments (BOI) has approved a P1.34-billion power plant project of Consunji-owned Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp., noting that this would provide a “crucial backup” to avoid power outages.
The project falls under the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP), which includes power generation as among the preferred investment activities.
The BOI said the gas turbine power plant in Batangas, which began commercial operations in March, consisted of two General Electric (GE) TM2500+ Mobile Gas Turbine power generating units with a combined rated capacity of 46 megawatts (MW) by using diesel as fuel.
The generated electricity will go to the Luzon grid under an Ancillary Service Provider Contract with National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the agency added.
“In times of peaked energy demand especially during summer, this plant can provide the crucial backup to base load plants in avoiding power outages,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said.
The BOI said fuel would be available from the two newly -fabricated diesel day tanks, which were fed by a large diesel storage tank fabricated specifically for this project.
Oil-based power installed capacity in the first half of 2016 reached 3,646 MW, or 18.18 percent of total power supply in the country. Luzon accounted for more than half of the oil-based power capacity with 2,133 MW.
Dependable capacity for oil-based power was placed at 3,003 MW, 16.75 percent of the total in the country.
Southwest, which operates a 300-MW base load coal plant in Batangas, is controlled by Semirara Mining and Power Corp., a member of DMCI Holdings Inc.