More infra projects to restore full power in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has assured the people of Mindanao that the decision to build more infrastructure projects such as power plants will ensure that the energy crisis in the region will be resolved by 2015.

Speaking in Ozamis City over the weekend, Aquino said the government is pushing for projects particularly in the energy sector to boost the power sources in Mindanao.

“We are correcting the wrongs of the past, and we are eradicating corruption,” he said. “And if people have become used to Philippines’ being the laggard of Asia, now the country is reaping praises for our improving economy.”

Aquino said the government has started taking measures to effectively address the power crisis in Mindanao.

“All these happened because my real Boss - the entire Filipino nation - put their trust in me,” he said. “It is the people who planted all of these, nurtured them and made them grow in order to effect a full-blown change. They made change happen.”

The power plants will produce enough energy to sustain the needs of residents and the business sector in Mindanao by 2015, he added.

Aquino said the institutionalization of educational reforms remains among his administration’s top priorities to improve the entire educational system.

“Now that the backlog on books, chairs (will eventually be addressed), the backlog (of 66,800) classrooms will be solved very soon,” he said.

His administration will continue government funding for various infrastructure projects to further develop the commercial and tourism industries in Misamis Occidental, Aquino said.

Former senator Jamby Madrigal, the only Team PNoy senatorial candidate to join Aquino in the sortie, fully supported the government’s power plant projects to solve the eight-hour rotating blackouts in Mindanao.

“This problem needs a comprehensive solution,” she said. “And because of climate change, we have to face reality that we cannot just depend on hydropower alone as a source of energy. We also have to explore other indigenous sources of power.”

The near completion of the 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Davao City is expected to help ease the worsening power crisis in Mindanao.

Aboitiz Power Corp. said the coal-fired power plant project has already clocked more than one million hours of accident-free work. The coal power plant is one of the biggest power projects in Mindanao and is expected to finally resolve the power shortage.

The coal-fired power plant project offers an alternative source to Mindanao, which is largely dependent on hydropower sourced mainly from Lake Lanao in Marawi City and Pulangi River in Bukidnon. The project is expected to provide the much-needed power in the Davao region, the leading growth center in Mindanao.

Benjamin Cariaso Jr., Aboitiz Power subsidiary Therma South Inc. president and COO, said safety is of paramount importance, and that with the help of contractors like First Balfour, they have shown that they can build a world-class power plant in Davao City and Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

“Combined with the safe man hours of all our other contractors, the Therma South project has achieved 2 million hours of safe, accident-free work,” he said.

The one-million-hour mark without total lost time due to injury (TLI) is the first ever achievement by any construction project in Davao region. The power plant, using the latest circulating fluidized bed technology, is targeted for completion in 2015.

As of Wednesday, shortage in the Mindanao grid hovered around 150 MW.

More than half of the power plant’s capacity had been signed up by distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in Mindanao. The power supply contracts will be submitted to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for review.

Manuel Orig, Therma South first vice president for government and community relations, said the milestone reflects the hard work and dedication of the whole construction team.

“We of course expect the same high level of safety consciousness from all our construction team workers who are building the plant which, when completed, should be able to significantly relieve the tight power supply situation in Mindanao.” he said.

Aboitiz Power is investing more than P35 billion to add more than 300 MW of power to the Mindanao grid. Subsidiary Hedcor has started construction of its Tudaya 1 and 2 hydropower project in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur to add 13 MW by 2014. Hedcor also recently received approval from host communities for its 52-MW hydro project in Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon.

In the short term, subsidiary Therma Marine supplies 200 MW of power to 23 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities to cushion the effects of the power shortage. - With Edith Regalado