A Brown inks MOU with So Cotabato power co-op

MANILA, Philippines - A.Brown Co. Inc. (ABCI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative Inc. (SOCOTECO II) to put up a 9.6-megawatt bunker-fired power plant as part of efforts to address the power shortage in parts of Southern Mindanao.

Under the MOU, both parties will negotiate the final terms of supply, installation and operation of the plant within a 90-day period.

The proposed power project is timely seen the whole island of Mindanao is experiencing shortage crisis in the supply of electricity which is mostly felt during hours of the day when demand is at its peak.

SOCOTECO II, which distributes electricity to Gen. Santos City and the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani, is among the cooperatives that suffer from the power supply deficiency.

Within its franchise areas, SOCOTECO II has to implement load dropping and/or rotating brownouts, resulting in massive business losses in the area.

The two entitles also see the urgency of setting up a new power facility as there is no new large generating capacity scheduled to come online in the Mindanao grid in the next three years.

Aside from power, A.Brown also has interests in real estate, infrastructure development, and agribusiness.  It also has investments in listed companies.

Through subsidiary Palm Thermal Consolidated Holdings, A.Brown is the developer of the 135-MW coal fired power plant project in the province of Iloilo.

SOCOTECO II, on the other hand, was organized and registered with National Electrification Administration on May 7, 1977 as the country’s 84th electric cooperative.