NIBH set to commission one biomass power project this year

By Lenie Lectura – September 10, 2018
from Business Mirror

NEGROS Island Biomass Holdings Inc. (NIBH) targets to commission this year one of its three biomass power projects while the remaining two are targeted for completion by end-2019.

These three biomass projects are the 20-megawatt San Carlos Biopower Inc., the 25-MW South Negros Biopower Inc. and the 25-MW North Negros Biopower Inc. These three power projects cost about $16 million (roughly P856.75 million).

Ayala-led AC Energy Inc.’s unit Presage Corp. acquired Negros Island Biomass last year.

“We have three plants. The first is San Carlos Biopower. Pyory Energy Inc. is our EPC [engineering, procurement, construction] consultant.  We’re now hopefully commissioning it before the year ends,” said Don Mario Dia, NIBH treasurer.

Pyory replaced China’s Wuxi Wagwang as the EPC contractor for San Carlos and South Negros biomass projects.

“Unfortunately, Wuxi was not able to complete the project on time so we took over and requested Pyory to assist us further. Wuxi was also supposed to do South Negros but we terminated also our arrangement,” Dia said.

San Carlos Biopower and South Negros Biopower cost $55 million each.

South Negros, he added, will be finished by end-2019. “We have a battery of expats in the group purposely to complete San Carlos and then South Negros.”

The third biomass power project, North Negros, is expected to be completed “one month before end of 2019.” Dia said North Negros Biopower has also tapped Pyory as EPC contractor.

He said the project cost for North Negros Biopower is about $50 million.