Mirant Global’s power plants to bring down by 50% cost of power in Boracay

Boracay, Aklan – The two new power facilities being put up by Mirant Global Philippines Corp. (MGPC) in Aklan will bring down the power rates being paid by self-generators in the province, particularly in tourist-drawer Boracay island, a local power company official said.

"Commercial establishments here using power generators can expect a significant reduction in the amount they spend for electricity," Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) executive officer Erico Bucoy said.

He said the reduction in power costs could run up to as much as 50 percent of their current charges once the two new power facilities begin commercial operations.

Bucoy said self generators on the island, comprising a significant portion of Boracay’s 158 resorts, spend between P12-15 per kilowatthour (kwh) of self-generated power.

"We expect at least 50 percent of resort owners to tap us when we show them that power supply is stable," Bucoy said.

He added that the power rate in the island is expected to drop to between P5 to P7 per kwh, depending on the finalized tariff structure.

Boracay, the country’s top tourist destination, has a present demand of around six megawatts (MW). It has in the past suffered from an unreliable power supply prompting resort owners to use power generators to ensure a steady flow of power.

MGPC is a partnership between Mirant Philippines and Global Business Holdings Inc., a Metrobank subsidiary.

The group is putting up two separate power facilities with outputs of 7.5 MW for the Nabas plant and five MW for the New Washington facility, both in Aklan. These are expected to ensure a more reliable power supply to the island, as well as other towns in Aklan.