Guv doubts viability of geothermal plant re-commissioning

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines  — Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said he doubted that something good will come out of the re-commissioning of the Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant (NNGPP) at Barangay Mailum in Bago City.

"I doubt if it can continue. It's not economical for them, unless they can produce more. Eight megawatts is not viable for them," he said.

In a report of the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) announced Wednesday that it re-commissioned the NNGPP in Bago City for three months while validating data gathered from its technical tests.

"The power plant will be operated for only a limited period of time, approximately three months. The geophysical testing will resume as soon as our technical team concludes its evaluation of the survey data already collected," the EDC press release said.

EDC said it has decided that it would be best to convert to electricity the geothermal steam generated during the testing and has re-commissioned the power plant as of Tuesday at 8.5 megawatts (gross).

Marañon however said there is likely not enough steam from the NNGPP anymore. "The problem is the steam supply. How can you squeeze something when there's nothing to give anymore?"

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the EDC said it completed studies on 61 percent of the geophysical stations at the northern Negros area at the end of March, the PNA report said.

"EDC would be conducting an initial assessment of the quality of data already gathered before resuming and completing the programmed survey," EDC said.

"While our technical personnel are undertaking an initial data analysis and evaluation, EDC shall implement activities in line with the optimization of the Pataan Production Sector by testing the combination of 3 existing production wells," it said.

In November last year, EDC temporarily shut down its NNGP plant, which has a capacity to deliver 49 megawatts only, to conduct more technical tests.

When asked if it will allow EDC to conduct more explorations at the NNGPP, the governor said he will already question it. "There's nothing there anymore. They would just be wasting money for the explorations," Marañon said.