Napocor switches on add’l 25-MW genset for Mindoro

The National Power Corp. (Napocor) formally switched on yesterday an additional 25-megawatt (MW) generator set in Oriental Mindoro to boost the province’s power reserves.

Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez said the Department of Energy (DOE) and Napocor are also set to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the power development program for Oriental Mindoro.

Perez said the generator started its commercial operations last Thursday (April 22), and has provided uninterrupted power supply to the province since then.

Apart from Oriental Mindoro, the genset has also been tapped to service the towns of Mamburao, Abra de Ilog, and Sta. Cruz in Occidental Mindoro.

The generator was leased by Napocor from Singapore-based GE Energy Rentals for $6 million. GE Energy installed the generator at Napocor’s diesel power plant in Calapan City.

At present, the province has a peak demand of about 26.45 MW, vis-à-vis the installed capacity of 52.70 MW. Of the total installed capacity, however, only 36.75 MW are dependable.

Oriental Mindoro sources its power supply from Napocor’s Calapan diesel power plant and from Power Barge 102, which is located in Puerto Galera.

Also providing power to the province is Mirant Philippines, which operates a 7.5-MW power plant servicing the municipalities of Pinamalayan, Socorro, Pola and Gloria.

With a total land area of 436,472 hectares, Oriental Mindoro is the seventh biggest island in the Philippines. It has a population of about 682,000 based on the 2,000 population census.