Kepco synchronizes Cebu plant with Visayas grid

MANILA, Philippines – Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) has synchronized the first unit of its Cebu-based 200-megawatt clean coal power plant with the Visayas grid.

The synchronization ceremony was carried out by Kepco’s arm, Kepco-SPC Power Corp., which operates the Cebu CFBC power plant project in Barangay Colon, Naga, Cebu.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia led the synchronization ceremony together with Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong, DOE Visayas director Antonio Labios, DENR EMB 7 division head William Cuñado, NGCP head of transmission planning department Randy Galang, the chairmen of the different electric cooperatives in Cebu and Negros and Kepco orea vice president Jang Pyo Lee.

According to Kepco, this milestone is one of the power plant’s most significant events prior to the commercial operation of unit 1 in February and unit 2 in May 2011.

Even though it is still undergoing testing and commissioning during this period, the additional power that it will contribute to the grid will significantly help alleviate the deficiency in power supply in the Visayas region, particularly in Cebu, Negros and Panay.

Kepco said the Cebu power plant’s synchronization to the grid is very important to the Visayas power system.

The result of a grid impact study conducted for the project showed that the power plant will not just increase the supply and reserve capacity, but would also contribute to the power quality in the grid.

Lee said “the power plant uses the modern circulating fluidized bed combustion (or CFBC) technology, the most environment-friendly coal technology available to date. The components of fly ash from this technology are way lower than the standard environmental regulation figures.”

The Kepco official said the efficiency of this technology has been proven worldwide by the more than 1,300 CFBC units operating in different countries, some of which are even located in urban areas.”

He said aside from job creation, the power plant will also bring social development for the locality.

Under DOE’s Energy Regulation (ER) 1-94, the host community of the plant will receive one centavo per kilowatt hour of total electricity sales.

“This financial benefit may be used to fund rural electrification, livelihood and development projects, reforestation management, watershed rehabilitation, health and other environment preservation projects,” he said.