Alsons Power starts Iligan diesel plant

MANILA, Philippines - Alsons Power Corp., the power producer of the Alcantara Group, has started operating its 98-megawatt Iligan diesel power plant meeting its commitment to operate the plant this month.

“It’s now fully operational,” said Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. executive vice president Tirso Santillan, adding this would help address the power shortage in Mindanao.

“The completion will lessen the power shortage but not totally eliminate it,” he added.

The Alcantara Group, operating under of Mapalad Power Corp., assumed control of and began rehabilitation work on the 20-year-old 98-MW Iligan plant in March.

The company had to repair 18 diesel engines.

The company started operating the plant on a ramp-up basis last April and began producing at least 10 MW for delivery to its client distribution utilities in Mindanao early this month.

The Alcantara Group has set aside P 1.2 billion for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and other expenses for the re-operation of the Mapalad plant.

With this development, the Alcantara Group is on track to producing additional capacity of 282 MW in the next three years in Mindanao and raise its total electricity generation capacity to 436 MW by 2016.

Aside from the Mapalad plant, the Alcantara Group controls and operates two other diesel plants in Mindanao – the 100-MW Western Mindanao Power Corp. (WMPC) plant in Sangali, Zamboanga City and the Southern Philippines Power Corp. (SPPC) 55-MW plant in Alabel, Sarangani.

The Alcantara Group is also engaged in property development, aquaculture, agribusiness, and services. The group has been an active player in the economic development of Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines for over 50 years.