Alsons to decide soon on contractor for 105-MW coal-fired plant in Zamboanga

Alsons Power Group has shortlisted two Chinese firms out of five companies vying for a contract to build its 105-megawatt coal-fired generator in Zamboanga City.

The generator will be the second unit of San Ramon Power Inc., which is already operating the first 105-MW unit in Barangay Talisayan.

Alsons said in a statement that it would choose within this month between Northeast No. 1 Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. (NEPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Group), and Shandong Electric Power Construction Co. (Sepco III), a subsidiary of Power Construction Corp. of China.

NEPC is based in Shenyang City, Liaoning province and has been engaged in major power projects in Mongolia, Iraq, Turkey and the Philippines.

Sepco III is in Qingdao City, Shangdong province, and has been involved in key power projects in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, India and various Southeast Asian countries.

“The people of Zamboanga City and nearby areas can look forward to a state-of-the-art baseload power plant right here in the city to provide safe, reliable and affordable electricity,” SRPI project manager Archimedes Donato said.

Joseph Nocos, vice president for project development at Alsons Power, said the Chinese firms’ bids for the contract “are a testimony to the keen interest the SRPI project has generated and are a vote of confidence to the future of Zamboanga City.”

Preliminary engineering and design work for the generator, which is intended to provide round-the-clock power supply to Zamboanga City and nearby areas, are expected to begin within the fourth quarter of this year.

Commercial operations are set to start in 2023. Once operational, the plant is also expected to play a crucial role in stabilizing power supply in the Zamboanga peninsula.

Alsons Power currently operates four bunker diesel and coal power facilities in Mindanao, with a total generating capacity of 363 MW and serves key cities such as Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, General Santos and Zamboanga. —RONNEL W. DOMINGO