Alsons Power starts comm’l operation of Sarangani coal plant

MANILA, Philippines - Alsons Power Group of the Alcantara family will start operating the first unit of its 2x105 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Sarangani within the month, providing much needed relief to the Mindanao grid.

In a statement, Alsons said its unit Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC) has completed key tests under the commissioning phase in preparation for commercial operations in order to immediately provide power to key areas in Mindanao reeling from another summer of power shortages.

“Once we commence commercial operations, SEC 1 will be able to bring in 105 MW of power to key areas in Mindanao that will help put an end to the six year-old power shortage and provide substantial relief to the people who have been suffering from this dire situation,” Alsons Power vice president for project implementation and coal operations head Nicandro Fucoy said.

SEC is now awaiting the issuance of a certificate of compliance (COC) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

“We are confident that the ERC will be able to issue the COC at the soonest time possible as we have already completed all the requirements. Any delay in the start of commercial operations would be a gross disservice to the people who have long been waiting for an end to the power crisis,” Fucoy said.

Once SEC Section 1 starts commercial operations, the company said it will ensure ample supply of power in Mindanao during the May 2016 elections and beyond.

The plant will serve more than three million residents from the provinces of Sarangani, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Norte, and Agusan del Sur; the cities of General Santos, Iligan, Bayugan, Butuan, Samal, and Tagum as well as key municipalities in Davao del Norte and South Cotabato.

When it reaches its full 210-MW capacity in 2018, the SEC plant’s coverage area will increase to more than six million people in the entire province of South Cotabato and the provinces of Davao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur and key areas in Misamis Oriental and North Cotabato.

The $570-million SEC power plant is the single largest investment in Sarangani province and the entire Region 12.

Aside from the SEC plant, Alsons Power is constructing the 105-MW San Ramon Power Inc. coal-fired power plant in Zamboanga City, which is targeted for completion in 2019.

The group is also entering the renewable energy segment with the development of a 15-MW run-of-river hydroelectric power plant at the Siguil River in Maasim, Sarangani.