Napocor’s Bohol diesel plant eyes ISO certification

The National Power Corp. (Napocor) expects its Bohol diesel power plant (BDPP) to receive soon an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification.

BDPP plant manager Wilfred B. Sinay said the 22-megawatt (MW) power facility has been recommended for ISO 9001:2000 certification by Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI Phils.), which assessed the plant’s quality management, operation and maintenance system in a two-day audit conducted earlier this month.

The ISO mark will be BDPP’s latest accomplishment after a string of recognition, making it Napocor’s most awarded power plant.

BDPP was named Best Diesel Plant in 2002 in a corporate-wide selection. In 2003, BDPP ranked second among the Best Thermal Plants of the Generation Group and last year, after meeting and exceeding its performance target and quality objectives, garnered the Best Thermal Plant award from Napocor.

BDPP consists of four units with a capacity of 5.5 MW each. Units 1 and 2 were built in 1978, while Units 3 and 4 were commissioned in 1986 and 1996, respectively. The power plant stands on a 3.2-hectare site in Dampas District, about 2.5 kilometers from the provincial capital of Tagbilaran City.

At present, the plant is an ancillary provider to the Bohol Island Grid. It is synchronized with the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection System and with the other plants serving the island-province.

BDPP supplies power to the Boholanos through the distribution utilities that buy power from Napocor, namely the Bohol Light Co. Inc. (BLCI), Bohol Electric Cooperative Inc. I (Boheco I), and Bohol Electric Cooperative Inc. II (Boheco II).

Earlier, two other Visayas-based geothermal power plants of Napocor – Leyte and Palinpinon – got their respective ISO certificates.

The Leyte geothermal power plant was conferred the ISO 9001:2000 certification for Quality Management; the ISO 14001:1996 for Environmental Management; and the OHSAS 18001:1999.

Similarly, the Palinpinon geothermal power plant in Negros Oriental also bagged the prestigious ISO 9001:2000 certification last year for excellent operation and maintenance of a geothermal power plant.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ISO is an international organization for setting standards in operations and management. The benchmarks set by the prestigious group serve as guides for implementing effective quality management systems.