Marubeni eyeing Ambuklao-Binga hydro plant

Japanese firm Marubeni Corp. is planning to bid for the Ambuklao-Binga hydroelectric power complex of the National Power Corp. “As far as Marubeni is concerned we will consider bidding for Ambuklao-Binga. and if we control those upstream plants we will probably have efficient utilization of water," Marubeni senior vice president Kazunori Takeda said. He however explained that the company has yet to come out with anything concrete regarding the planned bidding. “This is still under consideration, we have not made a decision," Takeda said. However, he said the company is not interested in vying for ownership of the 600-MW Masinloc coal-fired power plant. “As far as TeaM Energy is concerned we prefer to go to organic expansion. For the individual partners they may look at the Napocor assets. But definitely we will not be bidding for Masinloc because it is a potential competitor," he said. Marubeni is part of the consortium that bought US-based Mirant Corp.’s assets in the Philippines. Mirant Philippines owns two coal-fired power facilities-Sual and Pagbilao. Marubeni also has exposure in San Roque Power Corp (SRPC, a multipurpose project and its primary feature is a 200-meter-high, 1.2 kilometer-long embankment dam on the Agno River spanning the municipalities of San Manuel and San Nicolas, Pangasinan, nearly 200 km north of Manila. Part of the objectives of SRPC’s multipurpose project is the 345 MW Hydroelectric Power Plant, a peaking power plant which has the following features: rated at 345 MW (producing approximately 1,000 GWh/year) or renewable peaking energy to the Luzon Power Gird; and the ability to provide the Luzon Power Grid an additional dependable capacity of 85 MW, even during periods of extreme drought. - GMANews.TV