The Department of Energy (DoE) expects 10 committed projects to shore up the country’s power supply by 944 megawatts and help ease any shortfalls this year through 2018.
However, the capacity to be generated by these committed power projects will still be marginal compared with the 33 indicative power projects that may contribute a hefty 4,358 MW to the three main grids during the same period.
Committed power projects refer to those that have complied with the necessary permits and clearances of various agencies and concerned local governments, and in the process of financial closing.
Indicative power projects, meanwhile, are those that are still at different stages of development.
According to data from the DoE, there are four committed power projects in Luzon alone, which include the 21-MW bunker power plant of CIP II Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development. This facility is being transferred to La Union from Calamba, Laguna.
The three other committed projects are Green Future’s 13-MW biomass project, which may be commissioned by June this year; GN Power’s 600-MW power facility that may be fully operational by 2013; and Maibarara Geothermal’s 20-MW facility in Mt. Makiling by 2013.
In the Visayas, the three committed power projects are the 8-MW Villa Siga hydroelectric power plant; EDC’s 20-MW Nasulo geothermal project, which is expected to be operational next year; and Asian Energy’s 4 MW biomass project.
In Mindanao, the three committed power projects are Cagayan Electric Power And Light’s 8-MW Cabulig hydropower project; Conal Holdings’ 200-MW coal facility; and EDC’s 50-MW Mindanao geothermal power project, expected to go online by 2014.
Over the next 20 years, the Luzon grid is estimated to need 11,900 MW in additional capacity, based on a 4.6-percent annual growth. The Visayas grid will need 2,150 MW, while Mindanao will require 2,500 MW.
