Montelago project to start drilling in July 2014
Oriental Mindoro, Philippines (source: flickr/ Welcome to my B&B, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas
6 Jun 2014
This is a $180 million project being done by EPI that will provide 40 MW to the region.
The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB)—an agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Philippines has given its approval to Emerging Power Inc. to start the drilling operations in Montelago area this July, which is a geothermal project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, as a multiuse zone.
According to the news source, “the $180-million Mindoro geothermal project, which will be established in barangays Montelago, Montemayor and Melgar-B in the municipality of Naujan, is now entering the drilling phase.”
This project intends to add 40 MW of power, with Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro each receiving 20 MW.
The Department of Energy earlier granted a geothermal renewable-energy service contract to EPI, which expects to drill by the third quarter of this year. The company expects to will start producing power by mid-2016. EPI has also signed power supply agreements (PSA) with Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (Ormeco) and Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative. Earlier this year, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla hailed the geothermal project as an important milestone for Mindoro and the Philippines as a whole.
“Geothermal is a big step toward realizing our dream of a sustained and affordable electricity,” Petilla said during the signing of the PSA between Ormeco and EPI.
Source: Business Mirror Website
