Meralco to start construction of 3 coal-fired power plants

• 8 years ago (2015-11-02)
• David Flin

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Meralco PowerGen Corporation of the Philippines, a unit of Manila Electric, has announced that it will start construction in 2016 of three coal-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2255 MW. The projects include a 455 MW plant of San Buenaventura Power in Quezon province, a 600 MW plant by Redondo Peninsula Energy in Subic, and a 1200 MW plant by Atimonan One Energy in Quezon.

The San Buenaventura coal project is a joint venture between Meralco PowerGen and New Growth, a unit of the Electricity Generating Public Company of Thailand. Work has started on site preparation before proceeding to financial closure and the start of actual construction, due to start in the first half of 2016. The supercritical coal-fired plant is scheduled to start commercial operations in 2019.

Meralco PowerGen also has a majority stake in RP Energy, the developer-owner of the planned 600 MW circulating fluidised bed coal-fired power plant in Subic. RP Energy has said that it is in talks with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines for the transmission line requirements of the power plant. RP Energy has not yet made a final decision whether to construct the entire 600 MW capacity, or reduce it to 300 MW due to transmission line constraints. RP Energy expects to finalise terms of the project financing agreement by the first quarter of 2016, with project completion expected in 2019. RP Energy is a joint venture of Meralco PowerGen, Therma Luzon, a subsidiary of the Aboitiz Power Corporation, and Taiwan Cogeneration International.

The Philippine Government has issued the environmental compliance certificate for the 1200 MW Atimonan plant, majority controlled by Meralco PowerGen. The EPC tender process has started, with response expected by the end of 2015. Meralco PowerGen said that work is expected to start on the site in early 2016, with commercial operation of the first unit due in late 2020.