Napocor to undertake seven power projects

State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) has committed to undertake at least seven power generation projects starting this year up to 2006 as part of the company’s system capacity requirement.

Of the seven projects being eyed by Napocor, two are power plant projects expected to be implemented this year.

Napocor said six of the seven generation projects are Luzon-based projects.

Projects which are expected to commence this year are the Bakun A/C, a hydroelectric power plant with 70 megawatts (MW) capacity located in Ilocos Norte and the Casecnan hydro plant.

Aside from Bakun and Casecnan, the other projects based in Luzon area including the expected commencement period are: Ilijan 1,200 MW natural gas project, (January 2002); Kalayaan 3&4 pump 350 MW hydro plant, (January 2003); San Pascual 300 MW Cogeneration project, (January 2004); and San Roque 345 MW hydro power plant (January 2005).

The only project not located in Luzon under the proposed Napocor generation projects is the 200 MW Mindanao Coal I plant in Cagayan de Oro which is expected to commence on January 2006.

In Luzon, Napocor’s committed projects are intended for the development and utilization of indigenous energy resources; namely, natural gas for baseload generation and hydro for mindrange and peaking operations.

However, the country’s largest power generation firm said near term solution in this area will include uprating of interconnection to increase the transfer of geothermal power, and the strategic allocation of power barges and or transfer of land-based gas turbine’s from Luzon to address the peaking requirement.