US firm turns over Makban plant in Laguna to Napocor

US-based power giant Ormat Inc. has turned over the operations of the 15.73-megawatt (MW) Makiling-Banahaw binary geothermal power plant to the National Power Corp (Napocor).

This, as the 10-year cooperation period for the build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract between Napocor and Ormat has officially ended. The Makban binary plant started commercial operations on June 30, 1994.

Located in Barrio Bitin, in the town of Bay, Laguna, the Makban binary consists of five units with an installed capacity of three megawatts each, and one 0.73-MW unit.

With the end of the BOT contract, Napocor will now take over the operations of the Mak-ban binary plant. Should the state-run power firm decides not to run the plant, then the facility will be offered for sale or placed under the care of its Assets Preservation Department.

Ormat ranks as the third-biggest geothermal independent power producer (IPP) in the United States. In the Philippines, its other projects include the 49-MW Leyte geothermal optimization project, which is owned and operated by Ormat Leyte Co. Ltd., and the 125-MW Upper Mahiao combined-cycle geothermal power plant, also in Leyte, which is owned and operated by a subsidiary of CalEnergy Co. Inc.

As this developed, Napocor announced that it has completed the repair of the Agus 4 hydroelectric power plant in Baloi, Lanao del Norte last June 15, or three weeks ahead of the original target date of July 6.

Units 1 and 2 of the 158-MW power plant were actually repaired as early as June 9. Unit 3, on the other hand was synchronized to the grid at 2:09 p.m. of June 15.

Napocor had placed Agus 4 on temporary shutdown since May 17 due to leaks in its draft tubes and flooding in some portions of Units 1-3.

Napocor vice president for Mindanao Generation Pasayud Macarambon said the repair personnel were able to complete the rehabilitation of Agus 4 ahead of schedule by working double-time.