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Maibarara Geothermal receives operation permit for plant in Batangas

Maibarara Geothermal receives operation permit for plant in Batangas Maibarara geothermal field at Mount Makiling, Philippines
Alexander Richter 11 Oct 2013

The 20 MW Maibarara geothermal plant being constructed by Maibarara Geothermal, a JV by PetroGreen Energy with TransAsiaOoi, EDC and PNOC Renewables has received commercial operation permit from the Philippines' Energy Regulatory Commission.

This morning, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in the Philippines “has cleared the commercial operations of a geothermal power plant that will tap Mount Makiling’s reserves.

In a statement today, PetroEnergy Resources Corporation (PERC) said the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) granted the certificate of compliance (COC) to Maibarara Geothermal Inc.’s (MGI) 20-megawatt power plant located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

The COC clears the way for MGI to start commercial operations of its plant, the first project under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. MGI expects its plant to go online before yearend as planned.

MGI is a joint venture company 65 percent ?owned by PERC subsidiary PetroGreen Energy Corporation, with TransAsia Oil and Energy Development Corporation and PNOC Renewables Corporation holding the remaining 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively. PNOC Renewables is a unit of state-owned Philippine National Oil Company.

MGI in September 2011 secured a P2.4 billion loan from Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation and Bank of the Philippines to partially fund the project. Construction started in April 2012.

The 20-megawatt Maibarara geothermal project consists of three components: the steamfield, power plant, and transmission facility. Steamfield commissioning tests started in the second quarter of this year and were completed in the third quarter when steam quality and quantity passed tests.

Steam blowing of the power plant was started and completed last August, while the six ?kilometer 69 kiloVolt transmission line was energized with feedback power middle of last month. A series of mechanical and electrical tests of the power plant’s main equipment, supplied by Fuji Electric, followed.”

Source: Inter Aksyon