Aboitiz Power expects to open 1,336-MW coal plant in Bataan in second quarter

Aboitiz Power Corp. said Friday it expects to complete the 1,336-megawatt GNPower Dinginin coal-fired power plant in Dinginin, Bataan by the second quarter this year.

“Key goals for AP for 2021 is to deliver GNPD which we expect to be generating power by the second quarter of 2021,” Aboitiz Power president and chief executive Emmanuel Rubio said.

Aboitiz Power’s nine-month report showed the GNPower Dinginin project was in the final stages of construction, but continued to face challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the imposition of the travel ban from China.

It said project timelines were impacted by the imposition of d travel restrictions and delays in the delivery of materials.

The company said despite the strict COVID-19 measures implemented on the site, key technical personnel and materials mobilization were largely achieved.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz Power said it was planning to participate in the competitive selection process of Manila Electric Co. for the supply of 1,800 MW on Jan. 25, 2021.

“We also plan to participate in the Meralco CSP with the aim of supplying a portion of Meralco’s requirements,” Rubio said.

He said the company was also focused on executing renewable energy projects in preparation for the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards requirements through the Energy Department’s Green Energy Auction Program in line with long-term goals.

“We are also looking at options for our next base load opportunity as we expect the grid will need new capacities as early as 2026,” Rubio said.

The company is set on significantly expanding its portfolio of renewable energy power plants over the next decade. By 2030, it expects capacity mix to be transformed into an almost 50:50 thermal to renewable energy ratio.

“Our targets in the next decade remain the same. We will continue to pursue a major shift in our energy mix by 2030, but while we remain focused on addressing the country’s energy trilemma of energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability, we will be shifting the balance from ensuring low-cost energy to providing energy from more sustainable sources,” Rubio said.

Rubio said 2020 revealed “how resilient we are as an organization, manifested by the group’s successes in spite of the challenges it faced in the last nine months.”

The Aboitiz Power Group and the Department of Energy turned over around P650 million in direct remittances under the Energy Regulations No. 1-94 program to various host communities across the country as of Dec. 28.

The ER 1-94 program is a policy under the DOE stipulating that communities hosting power generation plants get a share of one centavo per kilowatt-hour generated by facilities operating in their area.

Host LGUs can also use these shares to help manage the effects of the new virus, in accordance with the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. This includes the facilitation of mass testing by providing and constructing facilities and acquiring proper medical testing kits.

Among the other highlights of 2020 for Aboitiz Power was the renewal of its pact with First Bay Power Corp. on the supply of Cleanergy, the company’s brand for renewable energy, which will help power the livelihood and development of the municipality of Bauan, Batangas.

This renewed partnership signals the start of the delivery of 10 MW of clean power to First Bay from AP Renewables Inc.’s MakBan geothermal facility. This aligns with the thrust of the Aboitiz Group to grow its Cleanergy portfolio and position itself as a major player in the renewable energy space.

Aboitiz Power is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services.