JG Summit to expand Batangas coal-fired plant

MANILA, Philippines - JG Summit Holdings Inc., the holding company of the Gokongwei Group is planning to expand its coal-fired power plant in Batangas City to 600 megawatts from 300 MW, according to documents from the Department of Energy.

The plant, located at Brgy. Pinamukan Ibaba in Batangas City, is among the DOE’s list of indicative power projects for Luzon.

The coal plant would have four units of 150 MW capacity each or a total of 600 MW, documents also shows.

However, JG Summit did not indicate when the project would be completed.

The Gokongwei Group’s holding company is becoming an active player in the power sector, after having acquired a 21.7-percent stake in Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

The company’s subsidiary Universal Robina Corp., meanwhile, is also building a 46-MW bagasse-fired power plant in Negros Occidental.

It also has investments in the petrochemical sector as it owns JG Summit Petrochemical which is the largest manufacturer of polyolefins in the country.

The DOE is also counting on the private power producers such as JG Summit to provide additional capacity for the summer of 2015 when supply would be critical.

The DOE said JG Summit has committed to make available 60 MW of capacity in time for summer next year, according to the DOE.