200-MW coal power plant to rise in Saranggani

MANILA, Philippines- A 200-megawatt clean coal power plant is expected to rise in Barangay Kamanga in Maasim, Saranggani, at an estimated cost of $450 million, officials of a local firm said Tuesday. Alcantara-controlled Conal Holdings Co. will be building the Kamanga Power Plant, which is expected to supply part of the baseload power requirements in Mindanao when it becomes operational in 2012. Gregorio S. Gonzales, KPP project manager, said the plant will be designed to accommodate an increase in its generating capacity of up to 900 MW. “We expect power supply to become tighter and tighter over the next three years, edging towards a shortage 2012 onwards. This is the main objective of the Kamanga Power Plant project. To fill the gap between supply and demand," Gonzales said. Mindanao has an existing generating capacity of 1,850.4 megawatts (MW) beginning 2008 but the dependable capacity is only 1,520 MW. Peak demand starting this year is projected to hit 1,440 MW. Industry regulations require the Mindanao Grid to maintain a reserve capacity of at least 23.4 percent of their generating capacity. Peak demand for power supply by 2015 is expected to hit 1,750 MW but only the Sibulan 70MW Hydro Power Plant Project in Sta. Cruz, Davao is under construction. Gonzales said they are now validating technical surveys of the project site and are wrapping up their feasibility studies. Construction is expected to begin middle of next year. CHC is a joint-venture between the Alcantara Group (Alsons) and Thai-power firm EGKO. Alsons also owns a 60MW bunker C-fired diesel power station in Sulawesi, Indonesia and operated power plants in Vietnam, China, and Pakistan . The KPP project, aims to initially generate 200 MW of electricity by 2011 with two incremental expansions of 350 MW over a period of 15 years. When fully completed, the planned power plant will be able to generate 900 MW of electricity. It will serve as a major source of energy for Southern Mindanao and will be able supply 15 percent (the 200MW) of the power needs of Mindanao. - GMANews.TV