Four coal-fired power plants are expected to start commercial operation in the Luzon grid next year and contribute 1,550 megawatts, the Energy Department said Tuesday.
The department, in its latest report, named the four plants as GNPower Diningin Coal Plant Ltd. Co.’s 600-MW coal-fired power plant in Mariveles, Bataan; San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co.’s 500-MW coal plant in Mauban, Quezon; AES Masinloc Power Partners Co. Inc.’s 300-MW expansion in Zambales; and SMC Consolidated Power Corp.’s 150-MW project in Barangay Lamao, Limay, Bataan.
The projects are contained in the committed list of projects for the Luzon grid.
Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc.’s 600-MW coal-fired power plant in Subic Bay, Zambales is also included in the list of committed projects which were supposed to start commercial operations last year. The company, however, has yet to start its construction.
RP Energy is still waiting for approval of its power supply agreement with Manila Electric Co. which is pending with the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Energy undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the government continued to woe investors to invest in the power sector to increase power reserves.
Fuentebella said additional reserves were needed to avoid instances of yellow alerts especially in the Luzon grid.
The department also said the country’s aging power plants put the country’s power supply situation at risk.
Energy Department director Mylene Capongcol earlier said the age of the power plants along with increasing demand and changes in temperature were affecting power supply.
Capongcol said the supply was at risk because of the “aging of the power plant, increasing demand, sudden increase or decrease in the temperature that affects the ambient performance of the power plant.”
Capongcol said there was a need to put up more power plants to address the increasing demand and fill the gap.
“From the DoE, we need to put in place an environment conducive to private sector participation, in the generation and in the supply. Of course, there should be a robust and strong transmission and distribution system,” she said.
Capongcol said if there was not enough supply, the cost of power would also increase.