02 Sep Biggest Coal-Fired Power Plant in Mindanao to Operate Within This Month
To end power crisis in Mindanao, the power unit of Filinvest Development Corp., FDC Misamis Power Corp. completed their 405-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Misamis Oriental.
The power plant is now said to be the biggest coal-fired power facility in Mindanao, according to FDC Misamis.
By mid-September, the power plant which is composed of three units – each with 135-MW capacity, will be completely integrated into the grid.
FDC Misamis said that the first unit was installed a month ago then followed by the second unit to have been successfully synchronized. And by mid-September, the synchronization of the third unit will commence. This will be the first power facility to be authorized under the Duterte administration.
President and chief operating officer of FDC Utilities Inc., Filinvest’s utility unit, Mario Pangilinan said, “To date, FDC Misamis has a generating capacity of 270 MW and is currently supplying over 200 MW into the Mindanao grid. So far, the commissioning test has been running smoothly and we expect to attain the full capacity of 405 MW by this month.”
Mindanao had suffered from power crisis for decades due its high dependence on hydropower and worsen due to El Niño.
Pangilinan stated, “Our project will finally put an end to this recurring power crisis that has plagued the region and hopefully drive the much needed economic development in Mindanao.”
The power plant spent multi-billion peso for its investment to an advanced clean coal technology – the circulating fluidized bed boiler technology. This facility is located at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
Officer-in-charge of Mindanao system operations department of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, Ambrocio Rosales said, “The operation of the FDC Misamis power project will greatly boost the supply security in the Mindanao region. And this is not only because of its large capacity but also due to its strategic connection to the grid. With this development, our system will be more reliable and the quality of service will be higher.”
Upon commissioning of this power plant, FDC Misamis will provide 500 MW including the 100-MW Apo Geothermal IPPA (Independent Power Producer Administrator) contract.
Long-term contractual commitments have been secured by FDC Misamis for about 85 percent of the project’s net capacity with various distribution utilities and large industrial customers in Mindanao.
Filinvest chairman, Jonathan Gotianun stated,“The entire Filinvest group is committed to Mindanao’s development. This is the biggest investment we have made among the numerous ventures we have undertaken in the region.”
FDC, the holding company of the Gotianun-led Filinvest Group, is one of the Philippines’s leading conglomerates with interests in property development, banking and financial services, hotel and resort management, power generation and the sugar industry.
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