Gov't sets 2nd auction for three gas turbines

Government will hold a second auction for three gas turbines which have a combined value of roughly $50 million.

Up for sale are the 90-megawatt (MW) Malaya gas turbine, the 30-MW Sucat gas turbine, and the 120-MW Bataan gas turbine, for a combined 240-MW capacity. The Malaya and Bataan turbines were built in 1989 while the Sucat turbine was built four years after.

The three were originally priced at $55 million when they were first auctioned off. However, no one placed a bid prompting government to reduce the price tag by roughly 10 percent.

The next auction will be held late this month.

The three gas turbines are land-based, this means the buyers of these power stations will have to dismantle or uproot the plant. This is one of the reasons why the National Power Corp. (Napocor), owner of the gas turbines, decided to lower the bid price.

Meanwhile, the 1,200-MW Ilijan gas-fired power plant remains on track for its scheduled commercial operation in January 2002.

Operated by the Kepco Ilijan Power Corp. (Keilco), the Ilijan plant will be completed by April next year and will be tested five months later. Natural gas will come from the Camago-Malampaya natural gas fields in Palawan.