Alcantara Group’s Mapalad Power delivers 10 MW to Iligan

ILIGAN CITY, Philippines — The Alcantara Group-controlled Mapalad Power Corp. (MPC), which operates the 98-megawatt Iligan diesel power plant, had delivered at least 10 MW of power as of Monday to this city to provide some relief to power-starved Mindanao before the May 13 elections. 

MPC began rehabilitation work on the 20-year-old diesel plant last March 11. The plant began operating on a ramp up-basis last April with the objective of reaching its full 98-MW capacity by September.

The Alcantara Group is spending P1.2 billion for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and other expenses for the re-operation of the MPC plant. 

As the host city of the MPC plant, Iligan City got the priority allocation on the power produced by MPC, subject to approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) of the Power Sales Agreement (PSA) between MPC and Iligan Light and Power Inc. (ILPI), the distribution utility covering Iligan City.

The ILPI has chosen to avail itself of only 10 MW from MPC out of the 22 MW that it needs to cover its energy deficit.

The ILPI is opting to obtain its remaining power requirements from other sources, including its own embedded diesel plant. 

There are 1,099 polling precincts with over 138,177 registered voters in Iligan City.

The MPC has signed off almost 90 percent of its full capacity via PSAs with the following distribution utilities aside from ILPI: South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Socoteco II) for 30 MW, covering General Santos City, the entire province of Sarangani and two municipalities in South Cotabato; the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. (Zamcelco) for 18 MW, covering Zamboanga City; the Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (Aneco) for 15 MW, covering Butuan City and other areas of Agusan del Norte; the Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative (Aselco) for 10 MW, covering Bayugan City and all 13 municipalities of Agusan del Sur; and the Zamboanga del Sur I Electric Cooperative Inc. (Zamsureco 1) for five MW, covering Pagadian City and 24 municipalities in Zamboanga del Sur.

Pending approval of these PSAs by the ERC, these distribution utilities will be able to access electricity from the MPC plant, thus significantly reducing the power outages in their respective service areas.