Coal plant test run slated

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE contractor of the 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant in LaPaz, Iloilo City will test run the facility’s first unit next week en route to its actual commercial operations next year.

This was the pronouncement of Henry Alcalde, vice president of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC), in Serbisyo Publiko hosted by Councilor Perla Zulueta over Sky Cable last Sunday.

Alcalde said the turbine and generator testing of the plant’s first unit is still part of the commissioning stage of the project.

Before the start up operations, Alcalde said they will first test the coal unloading facilities.

Alcalde said Formosa Heavy Industries Inc. (FHIC) will begin the start up when the plant’s first delivery of coal arrives November 10.

“On the same day, we will start the coal plant’s first unit using diesel and after the coal delivery is unloaded, we will start using coal the following day,” Alcalde said.

Alcalde said FHIC will conduct several tests before they start running the plant at 25% capacity until it reaches full capacity.

The plant’s first unit can produce 82MW of electricity.

“Hopefully by end of November we will conduct reliability run for one month until we operate at 82MW continuous operation,” he added.

Alcalde said the reliability run is part of FHIC’s contractual obligation to make sure that the plant will not fail within 30 days of continuous operation.

“If the contractor can meet that condition of continuous operation in 30 days at 82MW capacity, PEDC will accept the plant. If they fail, they will have to make corrections and do the testing again,” he said.

Alcalde said they have informed the city government of the tests and arrival of the first coal delivery.

PEDC is a subsidiary of Global Business Power Corp. of the Metrobank group.

The power plant is expected to begin supplying electricity to Iloilo City and the rest of Panay in the first quarter of next year.