First Gen hires Austrian firm  for Pantabangan rehab

First Gen Hydro Power Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lopez-controlled First Gen Corp., has tapped the services of VA Tech Hydro (GmbH) for the refurbishment and upgrade works for the newly-acquired Pantabangan hydroelectric power plants in Nueva Ecija. 

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), First Gen Hydro said the project will enable the Pantabangan facility to extend its lifespan by another 25 years. 

This project, the company said, will also improve plant efficiency and performance by increasing capacity by approximately 18 megawatts (mw).

Austria-based VA Tech hydro is a leading global supplier of turnkey electro-mechanical equipment for hydropower plants. It is also engaged in the construction of new hydroelectric power stations and rehabilitation and upgrade of existing plants.

Completed in 1977, the 100-mw two-unit Pantabangan power plant has been in service for more than 30 years without having undergone a major overhaul.

The project involves refurbishing the machines one year apart , with the first unit  scheduled between July and December 2009, and the second unit expected to be completed by December 2010.

The Pantabangan plant is the first major  power facilty of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) sold by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM).

It is also the first among Napocor’s privatized assets to undergo a major refurbishment and upgrade.

The refurbishment and upgrade project signals the implementation of the initial phase of First Gen Hydro’s expansion program, which includes investing in additional units for each of the Pantabangan-Masiway hydroelectric power plant to increase their combined capacity  by 78 mw. 

The Pantabangan-Masiway expansion program is in line with First Gen’s vision to be a world-class energy provider and to provide clean and reliable energy for the Philippines.