Additional power supply seen in November

The Aboitiz group expects to add to the Luzon grid 668 megawatts of additional power generation capacity, which will help ease supply tightness that saw rotation brownouts in various parts of the island earlier this month.

Aboitiz Power Corp. said the first unit of GNPower Dinginin in Bataan, a joint venture with Vivant Corp., is scheduled to go online this coming November.

Also, commercial operation of Dinginin’s second 668-MW generator is slated in 2020.

AboitizPower said these generators would boost the company’s capacity and help address the country’s rapidly increasing demand for reliable and cost-efficient power.

Last week, AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Visayas Inc. started delivering electricity from the first of two 170-MW baseload generators in Toledo City, Cebu. The second 170-MW unit is expected to come online by May 2019.

“We are happy to have brought Therma Visayas online just in time to support the government’s call for more reliable energy supply as we head toward the midterm elections,” said Danel C. Aboitiz, president and chief operating officer of AboitizPower’s Coal Business Unit.

“By having a reliable baseload plant on the island of Cebu, the residents and investors on the island will enjoy a number of economic and strategic benefits that include increased energy security, more competitive prices and local employment.”

The Toledo plant will deliver power to Visayan Electric Co. Inc. and electric cooperatives as well as to open-access customers in Luzon and the Visayas.

The DOE reported that several power sources will be going online in time for the May 13 elections.

The Luzon grid was put on red alert status for three consecutive days earlier this month as several power plants either conked out or were on preventive maintenance.

The Department of Energy said it was expecting the power situation to improve starting last week as Unit 1 of the Sual power plant, which experienced boiler pump leak last April 9, resumed operations. It has a capacity of 647 megawatts.

The agency has also assured the public of enough electricity supply during the coming mid-term elections next month.