Power Barge 108 now online

By Jordeene B. Lagare – October 11, 2021
from The Manila Times

The National Power Corp. (Napocor) recently moored and switched on its 2-megawatt (MW) Power Barge 108 in Lamitan City in Basilan to address the increasing electricity demand in the area.

The state-run corporation said the power barge will have a dependable capacity of 3 MW before the year ends, bringing the total supply of Basilan to 14.5 MW.

In a statement, Lamitan City Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay said that it has been their wish for the barge to be deployed to augment the city’s power supply.

“With this power barge, we are assured that improvements in our power supply may be addressed. Thank you, NPC for the prompt response,” he added.

Napocor generates and supplies power to the 13 municipalities of the province through its Basilan Diesel Power Plant, Power Barge 119, and Power Barge 108.

Prior to its transfer, PB 108 used to be moored in Camotes Island in Cebu. The transfer became possible after Camotes Island secured its power needs from a private generator following a successful competitive selection process.

As mandated by Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, Napocor is tasked to perform missionary electrification in far-flung islands and villages in the country through its 278 small power utilities group (SPUG) plants.

At present, the state-led firm operates 275 SPUG power plants in 238 areas in 198 municipalities across 34 provinces all over the archipelago.