Aboitiz Power plans transfer of power barges

MANILA, Philippines - Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC) is planning to transfer its acquired power barges to Mindanao by the middle of next year, a ranking company official said.

APC first vice president Bobby Orig said this move is in response to the expected tightening of power supply in Mindanao.

“To augment the tightening power supply in Mindanao next year, in anticipation of the effect of the summer months and the continuing increase in demand for power, APC, through its wholly owned subsidiary Therma Marine Inc., plans to transfer one of its four barge-mounted power plant units from Navotas by June 2012,” Orig said.

Orig said the company has always been committed to provide stable power in Mindanao.

“As Mindanao braces for a shortage of power, APC remains true to its commitment to the people of the island by providing a solution that will ensure that our economic progress will continue,” he said.

The barges,Orig said, are bunker C-fired diesel plants designed for peak load application, and will contribute to the country’s power supply needs.

He said when fully operational, the barges will have an aggregate deliverable generating capacity of 242 megawatts (MW).

“It is worthwhile to note that the units have not been operating for almost five years. Upon their acquisition last May 2011, APC immediately implemented rehabilitation efforts on the barges, so that these will be able to deliver prime output,” he said.

APC intends to send one of the barges either to Nasipit, Agusan del Norte or Maco, Compostela Valley, where the company has docked 200-MW power barge facilities operated by Therma Marine.