Maibarara consortium to switch on Batangas geothermal plant this year

MANILA, Philippines - The Maibarara consortium expects to start commercial operations of the Maibarara Geothermal Power Plant (MGPP), a 20-megawatt facility plant in Sto. Tomas, Batangas late this year, listed oil firm PetroEnergy Resources Corp. said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

PetroEnergy said Maibarara Geothermal Inc. (MGI) has started engineering works for moving the company a step closer in its target to start commercial operations before the end of the year.

MGI is a joint venture among PetroEnergy Resources Corp. subsidiary PetroGreen Energy Corp., Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. and PNOC Renewables Corp.

MGI president F.G. Delfin Jr. said the company is awaiting the delivery of major power station equipment from Japan which Japanese firm Fuji Electric is scheduled to deliver by early April.

“After delivery in April, a three-month installation of the power station’s equipment components will follow. This will set the facility for initial plant testing and commissioning to be conducted by MGI, Fuji Electric and EEI given the necessary government permits by July 2013 and for eventual commercial operations by late 2013,” Delfin said.

MGI has also tapped Cendaur Engineering to provide switchyard works for the 20-MW geothermal plant.

Under the contract, Cendaur, a local company, will undertake the design, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of the 115-kilovolt switchyard facility of the plant.

“The facility consists of circuit breakers, transformers, relays, controls and electrical wirings,” PetroEnergy said.

The start of the project’s switchyard works followed the release on Jan. 31 of the distribution asset study by Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor.

Meralco and MGI earlier signed an agreement to link up the 20-MW MGPP to Meralco’s existing 115 kV line in Calamba.

Delfin said MGI would work closely with partners and contractors to have all the facilities, systems and permits for a successful testing of the first geothermal plant in Luzon in 16 years and the first under the Aquino administration.

Maibarara is also the first renewable energy project under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.