Meralco opens bids for 180 MW emergency power supply
MANILA, Philippines — Power firm Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said Thursday that it has begun the emergency procurement for 180 megawatts (MW) of baseload power as it moves to augment its supply in the summer months.
The power provider said it is currently seeking bids to provide additional power supply which would also cover for the output of power plants affected by the Malampaya project's "continued inability to supply adequate natural gas fuel."
"Meralco is inviting all interested parties to submit their offers for the contract," the firm said in an emailed statement shared with reporters.
"Interested bidders have until March 31 to submit their expressions of interest. A pre-bid conference will be held on April 7, while bid submission deadline will be on May 4," it added.
The firm said it is issuing its call to bid after the Energy department greenlit the terms of reference for Meralco's competitive selection process for the emergency procurement.
The 180-MW of baseload power will form part of the company's 350-MW requirement that will help enhance available supply during the dry season.
Last month, Meralco entered into a power supply agreement with San Miguel Corp.'s unit South Premiere Power Corp. for an initial 170-MW of peaking power. The deal is up for approval with the energy regulator.
Meralco earlier announced that customers may see higher power bills this month as higher generation costs caused by multiple plant outages and a weak peso raised the overall rate for the first time this year.
In a briefing last week, Meralco Head of Utility Economics Larry Fernandez said increases in global crude prices and the peso's depreciation will be reflected in the costs of sourcing power from the offshore Malampaya deepwater-to-gas project, the largest source of some power plants providing supply to the Pangilinan-led company.
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