APRI seeks ERC OK to develop, operate transmission facilities

MANILA, Philippines — AP Renewables Inc. (APRI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., is seeking the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission to develop and operate dedicated point-to-point transmission facilities worth P83.52 million to connect its upcoming geothermal binary power project in Albay to the Luzon grid.

The dedicated facility project will connect APRI’s 17 megawatts (MW) Tiwi geothermal binary power plant to the Luzon grid via the 69-kilovolt (kV) Tiwi-C substation of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

The dedicated point-to-point limited connection facility will be used solely by the Tiwi binary plant for its dispatch and connection to the 69-kV substation of NGCP, allowing movement of power from the power plant to the Luzon grid.

APRI studied its options and found that such direct connection is the sole viable option to connect the Tiwi binary plant project to the Luzon grid due to its proximity.

The company said it needs to immediately test, commission and dispatch electricity from the Tiwi binary plant upon its completion to contribute to the rising demand growth and avoid unnecessary delays that can lead to opportunity costs.

APRI and its partners aim to officially break ground for the Tiwi binary plant within the first quarter, with its completion eyed by year-end.

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

In April last year, 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.

APRI has also awarded the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction contracts 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.

Both companies are long-time partners of APRI, with Desco providing control and instrumentation materials plus staffing services for 11 years, while Ormat built and designed the company’s binary facilities for the MakBan Geothermal Power Plant in Laguna.