EDC unit to complete project next year – ERC

By Jordeene B. Lagare – February 26, 2019
from The Manila Times

A unit of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) is looking to complete by the middle of next year a P200-million transmission line that would connect its planned power project in Albay province to the Luzon grid.

Subsidiary Bac-Man Geothermal Inc. “intends to have the connection asset (transmission line) in place and ready for the commissioning of the Palayan Binary Power Plant project, which is scheduled to happen within the fourth quarter of 2020,” a February 19 order from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) read.

“The completion of the…project within the projected time frame is critical to ensure that additional capacity will be available for the Luzon grid in a timely manner,” it added.

The Lopez-led renewable energy (RE) firm is seeking regulatory approval to develop, own and operate that line exclusively.

Located in Albay’s Manito municipality, BGI is building the Palayan plant to help meet increasing energy demand there and respond to the government’s call to speed up the exploration and development of RE resources.

Citing the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Power Development Plan 2016-2040, the ERC noted that peak demand in Luzon would triple to 29,852 megawatts (MW) in 2040 from 9,726 MW in 2016, and that the island would need additional capacity by 2023.

EDC is into exploring, developing, operating, and utilizing geothermal energy and other indigenous renewable energy sources for electricity generation with an installed capacity of 1,471.8 MW.