Geothermal firm signs contracts with 2 suppliers

MAIBARARA Geothermal Inc. has signed engineering, procurement and construction contracts with Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corp. (Miescor) and Yokogawa Philippines Inc. as it pushes forward the completion of its 20-megawatt geothermal power plant in Mt. Makiling next year.

In a statement, MGI said the EPC contract with Miescor, signed last Dec. 5, was for the construction of the transmission line for the P2.8-billion geothermal facility.

Under the contract, Miescor will execute the design, supply, delivery, installation and testing of the 115-kilovolt transmission facility. The transmission line covers 6 kilometers from MGI’s power plant being constructed in Sitio Capuz, Barangay San Rafael, Sto. Tomas, Batangas, to the tapping point of power distributor Manila Electric Co.’s 115-kV line in Calamba, Laguna.

Miescor will complete the construction and testing of the Maibarara transmission line facility by the end of May 2013, according to MGI.

Meanwhile, the EPC contract with Yokogawa Philippines, signed last Dec. 4, was for the design, supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the instrumentation and control systems of the Maibarara power plant and steamfield facilities.

MGI said Yokogawa was expected to complete the installation and testing of the instrumentation and control system by June 2013.

MGI is the vehicle company formed by publicly listed PetroEnergy Resources Corp., through its wholly owned subsidiary PetroGreen Energy Corp. (65 percent), Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. (25 percent) and PNOC Renewables Corp. (10 percent).

The Maibarara geothermal power project is the first renewable energy project under the 2008 Renewable Energy Law declared commercial by the Department of Energy in November 2011. MGI is targeting initial testing of the integrated power facility by July 2013 with full commercial operations by the fourth quarter next year.

When put into commercial operation, the Maibarara facility will be the first geothermal power project under the Aquino administration and the first geothermal power station in Luzon in 16 years.