Peakpower set to commission GenSan plant

MANILA, Philippines - Peakpower Energy Inc. (PEI) is set to commission by the end of the month its 20 megawatt bunker-fired power plant in Gen. Santos City.

The facility will supply the peaking power demand of South Cotabato Electric Cooperative II (Socoteco II), its president Roel Castro said.

 “The power plant will be ready to go online this month as committed, ensuring the stability of power supply in the city and the neighboring areas,” he said.

He said electric power consumers, especially those in the business sector,  would no longer have to worry over power outages due to inadequate generation capacity during peak hours.

Socoteco II, the local electric distributor, supplies electricity to the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani and Gen. Santos City, which are mostly agro-industrial and tourism economies.

In all, the whole franchise area of Socoteco II requires a daily peak power demand of 120 MW.

Socoteco II president Elenito Senit welcomed the new facility, saying that it would benefit majority of its residential customers.

“Around 93 percent of our residential customers will be benefited when the power plant begins commercial operations,” he said.

For the past several summers, the whole franchise area of Socoteco II suffered daily rotational brownouts lasting up to eight hours due to insufficient power supply and affecting industries in the area.

Gen. Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.  (GSCCCI), in a statement, said it welcomed the new power plant.