Davao City – President Aquino will inaugurate today the newly completed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Binugao, Toril, Davao City.
The power plant, owned by Aboitiz- Power and operated by its subsidiary, Therma South, Inc. (TSI), will supply more than 20 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities in Mindanao.
AboitizPower said the power plant is one of the critical projects of the company needed to finally solve the long-term Mindanao power shortages. It is considered as the first major power plant added to the Mindanao grid since 2006.
Shortage of power supply coupled with other problems such as bombings of transmission utilities have caused prolonged brownouts in most parts of Mindanao in the past years.
AboitizPower’s sister company, the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) already has a 100MW power supply contract with the new power plant.
The power plant will supply power to major cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Gen. Santos, Butuan, Kidapawan, Cotabato and Tagum. It will also serve the provinces of Davao, Caraga, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, parts of Bukidnon, parts of Misamis and parts of Zamboanga peninsula.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the power plant of the Aboitiz group will be one of the additional capacities for Mindanao this year to augment the power situation in the area.
“The Department of Energy (DOE) is coordinating efforts to ensure continuous and reliable power supply in Mindanao,†Coloma said.
FIRST ‘COAL DOME’The power plant features the first “coal dome†in Southeast Asia – a modern coal storage facility that will ensure security of the fuel and safety and well-being of the surrounding areas. The first of the two 150-megawatt plants started operations in September 2015. The second 150-megawatt power plant is being inaugurated to complete the 300-megawatt facility.
SECURITY FOR TOWERSMeanwhile, Coloma said the government is beefing up security following the bombing of transmission towers in Mindanao. He said that 14 out of the 15 towers have resumed operations after the incident.
“The provincial government of Lanao del Sur led by Governor (Mamintal) Adiong is working with other concerned local government units, as well as the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to beef up security for the transmission towers and to address right-of-way issues with land owners where those towers are located,†he said.
Coloma noted that power supply in Mindanao is not solely dependent on hydroelectric power plants. He said transmission towers that were bombed during the holidays in Lanao del Sur were for hydroelectric power.
“The power supply for the Mindanao region is derived from a combination of sources including the existing hydroelectric power plants. The power grid in the region is not solely dependent on these transmission towers, which are connected to the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants,†he said.
Power outage has become a problem in Mindanao because of the ageing hydropower plants there.
President Aquino earlier said that the power situation in Mindanao has been neglected by past administrations that led to blackouts in the southern part of the country.
GRID COLLAPSERecently the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) warned of probable grid collapse in Mindanao if bombings of transmission lines continue unabated.
NGCP said the persistent bombings of transmission utilities has left only one line remaining that currently supply power to other parts in Mindanao from the 138-kilovolt Maramag-Bunawan line.
If the remaining line will be attacked and damaged the transmission of power definitely collapse that will send Mindanao into complete darkness, NGCP pointed out.
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