EDC receives approval for 50 MW project at Mt. Apo, Philippines
Mount Apo, Philippines (source: flickr/ Ed-meister, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
8 Aug 2012
Energy Development Corp. (EDC) receives local city council approval for a 50 MW geothermal power project at Mt. Apo, an extension to two plants currently operated by EDC with a capacity of 104 MW.
Earlier this week, the local city council at Kidapawan approved the construction of another geothermal plant at the foot of Mt. Apo in exchange for development projects for the local communities.
There are two geothermal plants built by the state-run Philippine National Oil Corp. The two plants are presently operated by the Metro-Manila based Energy Development Corp. (EDC).
“The two geothermal plants generate a total of 104 megawatts of electricity daily, about one-fourth of Mindanao’s daily power requirement.
Councilor Lauro Taynan, chair of Kidapawan City council’s committee on energy, told reporters that they gave last Friday Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco the “imprimatur” to sign with EDC an agreement allowing the construction of one more power plant at Mt. Apo.
The EDC is expected to produce an additional 50 megawatts of power with one more geothermal plant in Kidapawan City.
Taynan, however, said the draft memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the mayor and the EDC will oblige the firm to initially allocate P42 million for road projects in the surroundings of the power plants in Barangay Ilomavis, Kidapawan City.
The EDC, under the agreement, shall also allocate some P3-million worth of assistance for street lights in Barangay Ilomavis and surrounding areas.
Taynan said the MOA will also require the EDC to supply the city government with medical equipment, such as x-ray and sonogram radio imaging facilities, blood testing machines amounting to P5.7 million.
The EDC shall also contribute a centavo, for each kilowatt of power the upcoming plant can generate, to the Environmental Tribal Fund, which will be spent for various welfare programs for Mt. Apo’s Manobo communities.
“Through such scheme, the Manobo people of Mt. Apo are assured of their share from the wealth of their homeland, or ancestral domain so to speak,” Taynan said.
It took the Kidapawan City council one year to approve the construction of the third geothermal power plant in Barangay Ilomavis.
Taynan said Gantuangco and the EDC are set to sign the MOA anytime soon.”
Source: PhilStar
