Forty power plants with a combined capacity of 2,328 megawatts are expected to go online this year, following the completion of 69 power projects during the six-year term of President Benigno Aquino III, according to the Energy Department.
“Under the Aquino administration, 69 power projects were commissioned providing additional megawatts to our power supply,” the agency said in a draft transition report to incoming Energy secretary Al Cusi.
The department said with the continued pursuit of private sector participation in power generation, the country’s total installed capacity increased to 18,765 MW in 2015 from 16,359 MW in 2010.
The report covering 2010 to 2015 said the average share of installed capacity by type of power plant were recorded at 31.8 percent for coal, 33.8 percent for combined renewable energy (wind, solar and biomass), 15.3 percent for natural gas and 19.2 percent for oil-based installations.
“Forty more projects are expected to go online within 2016 which will further add 2,328 MW to total dependable capacity from 16,432 MW in 2015,” the report said.
The department also spearheaded the re-powering and rehabilitation of privatized power plants during the period which resulted in an increase of 392 MW.
Outgoing Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada earlier said the department was already preparing an “abridged version” of a report of the department’s accomplishments for Cusi, a former general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority and a former chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
“Most of that are for power. There’s a lot of things to complete. Priority would be RPS [renewable portfolio standards]. Next would be the RE market circular. And then FIT, whether we still need it so we can meet our 2030 targets,” she said.
