Napocor assures adequate power supply for NSC plant

The National Power Corp. (Napocor) has assured Global Steelworks International Inc. (GSII), the former National Steel Corp., of adequate power and industrial water supply for the next 20 years.

Napocor vice president for Mindanao Pasayud M. Macarambon said in a letter that the state-owned power firm has lined up several capacity enhancement projects to be able to supply GSII’s power requirement of 120 megawatts (MW).

The newly-reopened steel company had sought Napocor’s assurance of available power and water supply as it prepares to resume full commercial operations.

GSII recently started rehabilitation works on the Iligan-based steel plant, which formally re-opened last Feb. 3.

Macarambon said the committed short-term projects include the dredging of the Pulangui IV hydroelectric power plant in Bukidnon and the Balo-I Plains flood control project.

Another project to be implemented in the near term is the rehabilitation of the Agus I hydroelectric power plant in Lanao del Sur.

The three projects are expected to add 140 MW to Mindanao’s installed capacity without resorting to the construction of new power plants.

The rehabilitation of Agus I is scheduled to be completed by September 2004, while the dredging of Pulangui IV and the flood control project are expected to be completed by Dec. 2006.

Apart from the short-term projects, Napocor is also placing the 63.8-MW Iligan diesel power plant on a "ready-to-run" status, Macarambon said. At present, the power plant has a load of 20 MW.

On GSII’s industrial water supply requirement, Macarambon assured that Napocor’s riparian flow policy of providing the steel plant 12,000 cubic meters per hour from the Agus 7 hydroelectric plant is more than adequate to meet GSII’s requirement of 7,869 cubic meters per hour.