ThinkGeoEnergy – Geothermal Energy News

EDC receives approval to build third plant at Mt. Apo

Local municipality of Kidapawan in North Cotabato gives the go-ahead to Energy Development Corp. (EDC) to build its third geothermal power plant in the Mt. Apo area in the Philippines.

Reported from the Philippines, Energy Development Corp. (EDC) received the go-ahead approval to build its third geothermal plant in the Mt. Apo area.

The city council of Kidapawan in North Cotabato gave the approval for the plant. Vice-mayor Joseph A. Evangelista said over the radio last Wednesday that a resolution was passed by the city council endorsing construction of the new plant located in the upland Barangay Ilomavis.

The Lopez-led EDC currently operates two geothermal power plants, namely: Mt. Apo I and II, with a combined capacity of 100 megawatts (MW).

The company’s Web site showed the proposed third geothermal plant would also have a capacity of 50 MW.

Mr. Evangelista said the city council resolution authorizes Mayor Rodolfo Y. Gantuanco to enter into a memorandum of agreement with EDC.

Among others, he said the agreement would require from EDC: P42 million for Kidapawan infrastructure projects, P5.75-million donation for the purchase of medical equipment for the city hospital, P1.7 million for the setting up of street lights from the village of Sudapin to Ilomavis, P1.7 million for electrification of other barangays, P1 million for payment of electricity bill covering the city’s street lights, and one-centavo share for every kilowatt-hour sold by EDC that will go to indigenous Ubo and Manubo tribes living at the foot of Mt. Apo.

While it has geothermal resources from Mt. Apo, whose land area covers parts of North Cotabato and Davao City, the province has been suffering from rotating brownouts of up to eight hours in the past months.

Supply from Therma Marine, Inc.’s power barge reduced the province’s power problems starting this month. The Cotabato Electric Cooperative, which distributes electricity in the province, currently has a load dispatch of 28 MW from National Power Corp. and eight megawatts from Therma Marine.

The entire Mindanao grid yesterday had a 113-MW shortage, according to estimates of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

Source: Business World Online

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