Lopez family’s EDC, Exergy to boost Leyte power supply

MANILA  -Global renewable energy developer Exergy International Srl has inked an agreement with the Lopez family’s Energy Development Corp. (EDC) for the supply of a 28-megawatt (MW) binary system in Leyte province as the company works to expand its footprint in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Exergy, the project will expand the 180-MW Mahanagdong geothermal plant in Ormoc City.

A binary system uses brine, or hot saltwater, to generate electricity for geothermal power plants and does not require any geothermal field development.

“This is an important reference in our portfolio that will help us to expand our business in the Asia-Pacific region, an area with a significant geothermal potential still unexploited, where Exergy is investing resources and efforts to further develop its presence,” said Luca Pozzoni, Exergy general manager.

Exergy explained that the system would utilize an advanced organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology to provide high efficiency and improve the plant’s reliability.

ORC machines are used to convert low-temperature heat resources into power.

Once operational, the binary system is expected to “significantly reduce” carbon dioxide emissions, Exergy noted, and that it would ensure consistent power availability to local communities and industries.

This is the second such agreement that EDC has entered into with Exergy after the completion of the Mindanao brine recovery project last year.

At present, EDC has over 1.5 gigawatts of installed capacity from its portfolio of geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind assets across the country.

EDC accounts for 61 percent of the Philippines’ total geothermal capacity.