345-MW additional capacity for Davao plant OK’d

DAVAO CITY, Philippines   â€“ The city council has approved a resolution endorsing the expansion of the generating capacity of the energy project of Therma South Inc. (TSI) from 300 megawatts to 645 MW.

The additional capacity is expected to help ease the power shortage in the south that has lately been besieged by daily power outages of up to 10 hours in some parts of Mindanao.

However, the city council has set terms and conditions for the approval of the additional 345 MW that the TSI-AboitizPower-owned coal-fired plant will have on top of its 300-MW capacity.

The power plant is being built in Barangay Binugao, Toril district here and expected to be completed by next year.

In its endorsement, the city council mandates TSI to comply with the conditions in the approval of the 300-MW project in 2011.

The city environment and natural resources office will closely monitor TSI’s compliance with the provisions of the city council’s action and with national and local environmental laws.

A multipartite monitoring team will also be set up and will submit a semi-annual report of its findings on TSI’s compliance to the city government.