AP Renewables to start Albay geothermal in Q1

MANILA, Philippines — AP Renewables Inc. (APRI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., plans to start early next year the construction of its 17-megawatt (MW) binary geothermal power plant in Albay following the recent selection of the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors.

AboitizPower said subsidiary APRI and its partners aim to officially break ground for the project in the first quarter of 2023, with its completion eyed by yearend.

The plant will utilize excess heat from spent brine at the Tiwi geothermal facility, the country’s first geothermal power plant.

Last April, APRI  signed an agreement with its steam provider to supply brine to fuel the binary plant.

The project will be built from the ground up with an entirely new binary plant system, pipes, and transmission line.

“Every step counts in our bid to grow our renewable energy portfolio. We are determined to reach our targets, and this project proves that we are ready to pursue every reasonable opportunity,” AboitizPower president and chief executive officer Manny Rubio said.

APRI recently awarded the EPC contracts for the project to Ormat Technologies Inc. and Desco Inc., two companies known for their engineering services, power plant system designs, and technical expertise in the geothermal energy industry.

AboitizPower said both companies are long-time partners of APRI, with Desco providing control and instrumentation materials plus staffing services for 11 years.

Ormat, on the other hand, built and designed APRI’s binary facilities for the MakBan geothermal power plant in Laguna.

“We are glad to move this project forward with partners we already know and trust. This collaboration will reinforce our commitment to providing much-needed Cleanergy to the grid,” APRI president and chief operating officer Jeffrey Estrella said.

Cleanergy is AboitizPower’s renewable energy solutions brand.

Through Cleanergy facilities across the country, power derived from run-of-river, large hydro, solar, geothermal, and soon wind, are harnessed to provide reliable and reasonably-sourced energy to businesses and communities at a reasonably competitive price.

AboitizPower targets to spend around P190 billion over the next decade for an additional 3,700 MW of renewable energy, growing its capacities to 4,600 MW or three times the company’s current renewables portfolio by 2030.