President Rodrigo Duterte led the formal launching of two power projects of the Alsons Power Group in Maasim, Sarangani province on Friday.
Duterte presided over ceremonies inaugurating the second unit of 105 megawatts of Alsons Power’s 210 MW coal-fired power project under Sarangani Energy Corp.
The President also witnessed the launching of the construction of Alsons Power’s 14.5-megawatt Siguil River hydroelectric power plant.
“The milestones we celebrate this afternoon are in line with our President’s vision of a Mindanao that enjoys the benefits of power security and the preservation of the environment by employing both traditional thermal baseload power and renewable energy,” Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. chairman and president Tomas Alcantara said.
“The two power projects that we are showcasing this afternoon represent our own modest contribution in support of the President’s commitment to provide the needed infrastructure for the economic growth and sustainable development of Mindanao and the rest the country,” Alcantara said.
The Sarangani Energy baseload plant began operating its first unit in 2016 and started commercial operations of the second unit in October this year.
The plant now delivers power to over six million people in 10 provinces and 12 key cities in Mindanao, including Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iligan, Butuan, Digos, Dipolog and Pagadian.
The $570-million SEC plant—the single largest power investment in Sarangani province and the entire Region 12, is majority-owned by Alsons Thermal Energy Corp., a partnership between the Alcantara Group’s Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. and Global Business Power Corp. Sarangani Energy’s other shareholder is Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corp.
Meanwhile, the P4.5-billion Siguil hydro plant, Alsons Power’s initial entry into renewable energy, is expected to begin commercial operations in 2022.
The hydro facility will provide power to Sarangani province, General Santos City and key municipalities of South Cotabato.
Siguil Hydro will be the first of eight run-of-river hydro power facilities that the group plans to develop in Zamboanga del Norte and other areas in Mindanao and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas.