Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. (EDC) is moving to decommission its 129-megawatt (MW) Upper Mahiao Power Plant (UMPP) in Kananga, Leyte, citing the facility has reached its maximum economic life.
EDC disclosed to the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. that it submitted a letter of intent to the Department of Energy (DOE) to decommission the UMPP in phases. The company stated the plant “has reached its maximum economic life and its generation of electricity has become no longer technically viable.”
The UMPP, a geothermal facility commissioned in 1996, has key components with an economic life of about 15 to 20 years.
“The decommissioning will be implemented in phases, with the initial phase (two of the four units) targeted by 2026, and the rest by 2029,” said Ryan Velasco, EDC vice president. “We will be conducting site feasibility studies and look at various options including the potential repurposing or redevelopment of the area.”
With an installed capacity of nearly 1,400 MW, EDC accounts for approximately 17 percent of the Philippines’ total installed renewable energy capacity.
Its geothermal portfolio, exceeding 1,000 MW, makes up about 56 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, solidifying the Philippines’ position as the world’s third-largest geothermal producer.
The company continues its expansion program despite the UMPP decommissioning.
EDC recently completed the 22-MW P7-billion Tanawon Geothermal Power Plant, the second of its seven growth projects to come online. This follows the inauguration of the 29-MW Palayan Binary Geothermal Power Plant on July 5, 2024.
The company plans to commission four additional growth projects this year, specifically the 28-MW Mahanagdong Binary Geothermal Power Plant in Leyte, and three battery energy storage systems (BESS) totaling 40 MWh (a 20-MW system in Bac-Man, 10-MW in Leyte, and 10-MW in Negros Oriental).
EDC anticipates completing its 5.6-MW Bago Binary geothermal power plant in Negros Occidental by 2026.
