Vivant Energy Corp. said subsidiary Isla Norte Energy Corp. delivered power generators with a combined capacity of 3 megawatts to the distribution utility in Bantayan Island in northern Cebu to significantly reduce power outages.
INEC, a partnership of Vivant Energy and Gigawatt Power Inc., brought the generators to provide power to Bantayan Electric Cooperative amid the energy shortfall in the area.
“We’re honored to be given this opportunity to help the people of Bantayan, both by bringing in emergency power supply and through our long-term commitment to provide sufficient and reliable power with the INEC power plant,” Vivant Energy president Arlo Sarmiento said in a statement.
INEC is constructing a 23.3-MW diesel power plant that will supply the long-term total power requirement of Bantayan Island.
“This is part of our commitment to help the social and economic development of Cebu, our home province,” said Sarmiento.
INEC was awarded a 15-year contract to supply BANELCO’s power requirements following a successful CSP. The INEC plant is expected to be completed by 2021.
BANELCO general manager Lee Rivera said the almost daily outages that the electric coop’s member-consumers experienced prompted them to procure emergency power supply.
“The problem of supply shortage has been eased because of the emergency power supply from INEC,” Rivera said.
BANELCO received an approval from the Department of Energy for exemption from the conduct of a competitive selection process for the procurement of the 3-MW emergency power supply.
“The welfare and comfort of BANELCO member-consumer-owners have been and will always be our utmost priority. The past several months had been a nightmare and an unfortunate experience that we wish will not happen again,” Rivera said. Alena Mae S. Flores
He said 3-MW interim or emergency power supply would address the power supply shortage of the power provider.
“We hope it will also allow them to properly fix and maintain their generating units, hopefully without resorting power curtailment,” he said.
The generators brought in by INEC provide nearly half of the island’s total demand.
“It’s not the ultimate solution but it will greatly improve the power supply situation in Bantayan Island,” Rivera said.
