Aboitiz Toledo plant to give 300MW to Visayas grid in 2018

The Therma Power Visayas Inc.’s Toledo coal-fired power plant will be ready for commercial operations in 2018.
(Aboitizpower.com)

MORE than 300 Megawatts (MW) of power is expected to enter the Visayas Grid once Aboitiz Power Corp.’s coal-fired power plant in Toledo City begins commercial operations by the first quarter of 2018.

AboitizPower COO and President Antonio Moraza said they are on time with the construction and may start the commissioning process by the first quarter of next year.

“We’re on time. If you drive by, you’ll see everything is pretty much up,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the 11th Aboitiz Future Leaders Business Summit held at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu on Friday.

Moraza was referring to the 340-MW coal-fired power plant in Sitio Looc, Barangay Bato, which is being constructed by Therma Power Visayas Inc. (TPVI), one of Aboitiz Power’s units.

The facility’s generating equipment is made up of two 170-MW steam turbines utilizing Circulating Fluidize Bed boilers to ensure that the power plant meets standards on health, environmental protection, and safety set by the government.

By 2018, Moraza said the plant is expected to supply power to the Visayas Grid.

The plant was also seen to generate dependable baseload power, improving the energy mix of the Visayas and securing the region’s energy needs.

Aside from additional power for the grid, the project also generated 2,500 new jobs during construction and more than 150 permanent positions once operation starts.

Earlier this year, AboitizPower inaugurated a 300-MW coal-fired power plant in Barangay Toril, Davao City.

Once completed, the Toledo plant will be bigger and more efficient than the company’s Davao facility and will house AboitizPower’s second coal dome.

Naga plant issue

Meanwhile, Moraza reiterated the company’s stand on the possible re-bidding of the Naga Power Plant Complex in Naga City, Cebu following the recent move of SPC Power Corp. (SPC) asking the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its decision upholding the reinstatement of the asset to TPVI.

“Obviously, we’re not in favor of a re-bidding when the ruling is already (there),” he said.

SPC, in a disclosure on the Philippine Stock Exchange, said the urgent motion for reconsideration was filed before the SC last Oct. 26.

Together with the motion for reconsideration was an alternative motion to refer the case to the SC en banc.

This development was in relation to the SC’s Notice of Judgement dated Oct. 5, 2016 in the SC case number G.R. No. 212686 entitled “Sergio R. Osmeña III vs. Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr., SPC Power Corp. and Therma Power Visayas, Inc.”

In its Notice of Judgement, the high court upheld the validity of the public bidding held by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp. of the Naga Power Plant, but invalidated the condition in the bidding granting SPC the right to top the bid.

The SC ordered the reinstatement of the Notice of Award issued by PSALM dated April 30, 2014 awarding the 153.1-MW Naga Power Plant in Cebu to TPVI.

The SC annulled and set aside the Asset Purchase Agreement (NPPC–APA) and the Land Lease Agreement executed (NPPC–LLA) between SPC and PSALM and directed PSALM to execute the NPPC-APA and the NPPC-LLA in
favor of TPVI.

PSALM held the first bidding for the Naga Power Plant in 2013. With the first two rounds declared failed bids as only one bidder, SPC, showed up.

TPVI joined the third round and won with a bid of P1.089 billion, higher than SPC’s bid of only P859 million, but SPC then exercised the right-to-top and was issued a Notice of Award by PSALM despite unanswered issues and the SC case questioning the validity of the right-to-top provision

“Let’s see how the SC rules (on the motion for reconsideration). We don’t know. I don’t think (re-bidding) is the ruling. The ruling is to award to us,” said Moraza.

Moraza added that what’s being heard is whether the ruling will be upheld or not, not entirely change it.