Repair of First Gen’s Avion plant partially completed

By Myrna M. Velasco – February 7, 2022, 5:46 PM
from Manila Bulletin

The repair of one of the generating units of the 97-megawatt Avion gas-fired power plant of First Gen Corporation had already been partially completed, the Lopez-owned firm reported to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

The plant’s unit 1 with 48.5-megawatt capacity sustained damage at its compressor around December last year, forcing the generating facility to be placed on shutdown for the needed repair works.

“First Gen has been advised by its subsidiary, Prime Meridian Powergen Corporation (PMPC), that the restoration works of Unit 1 of the 97MW Avion power plant has been partially completed by GE, the original equipment manufacturer,” the Lopez company noted.

First Gen added that “the unit is currently commercially available on natural gas operation, but GE will continue recommissioning and testing activities using liquid fuel.”

Due to the gas restriction dilemma of the country’s Malampaya gas field, power plants running on indigenous gas fuel, including the Avion plant, had been shifting to liquid fuel use in the past two years.

The Avion plant, in particular, is equipped with two units of GE Electric (GE) LM6000 PC dual fuel aero-derivative gas turbines or generators supplied by American industrial giant GE.

In December, GE advised First Gen subsidiary PMPC that “Avion unit 1 cannot be operated and will require further onsite assessment to determine the extent of the damage and effect repairs necessary to place the gas turbine back into service.”

The plant’s unit 2, which was also previously damaged and subsequently brought back to service by GE in October 2021, had not been affected in the technical glitch that happened in December, thus, the plant was still wheeling capacity into the grid.

The Avion plant is one of the gas-fed generating assets of First Gen that has been supplying electricity to Luzon grid – along with its 1,000MW Santa Rita; 500MW San Lorenzo and 414MW San Gabriel power facilities.

With recent warning of thin power supply during the summer months, all power plants are being directed and accounted for by government policymakers and regulators to efficiently make their capacities available during the summer months as well as on the synchronized national and local elections.