By Juzel L. Danganan
MANILA, Sept 11 (PNA) – Mindanao-based Therma South Inc., is scheduled to start commercial operations next week with its first 150-megawatt (MW) unit, said Aboitiz Power Corp. president and chief operating officer Antonio Moraza.
”Commercial operations sometime next week, we have been testing,” he told reporters when asked about the power plant.
Therma South Inc. is a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp.
The president noted the coal-fired power plant also had problems during its commissioning, coinciding with the brownouts in Mindanao caused by the shutdown of the 210-MW STEAG State Power Inc. (SPI) coal-fired power plant and the 108.48-MW Mt. Apo geothermal power plant.
Moraza, however, added the current and improved power situation in Mindanao has made everyone glad.
With the operations of the baseload power plant, Mindanao will have more stable power and lower the risk of brownouts.
Therma South Inc. was targeted to start commercial operations during the second quarter of the year, but was damaged due to the Mindanao-wide blackout that occurred on April 5.
According to Energy Department data, 20 distribution utilities will source capacity from the Php 24-billion coal fired power plant, which will have two 150-MW units.
Mindanao was earlier reported to have a shortage in capacity due to the low water levels of its hydro-power plants, which is the majority power source in Mindanao.
The Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) said in July the low water levels brought few capacity to the Agus-Pulangi hydropower complexes. It provides around half of the island’s power supply. (PNA)