Alson prepares for construction of 105-MW coal power plant in Zambo

MANILA, Philippines - Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc., the investment holding company of the Alcantara Group, is preparing to start the construction of its planned coal-fired power plant in Zamboanga.

Joseph Nocos, the company’s vice president for business development, said they are currently working on the approval of the plant’s contracts.

“We are waiting for approval of plant contracts. Once we receive that, which we expect sometime in May, we will be proceeding with the construction of the plant,” Nocos told reporters.

Alsons is planning to put up the 105-megawatt San Ramon coal-fired power plant in Zamboanga.

Company officials earlier said they have signed up South Korea’s Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd. engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor in Dec. of 2012. 

The plant is targeted to commence operations by 2016.

The construction of the Zamboanga plant is part of Alsons’ efforts to help address the power shortage in Mindanao.

It is resolved to do its share in ensuring Mindanao’s power stability for the long run, as it gears up to double the current generating capacity of Alsons subsidiaries to make it a supplier of one-fourth of Mindanao’s power demand by 2016.

With two plants in Sarangani and Zamboanga, the company is looking forward to generate an aggregate of 463 megawatts – more than one-fourth of the Department of Energy’s projected 2016 Mindanao peak power demand of 1,829 MW.

Engineering and construction of the first 105 MW phase of the 210-MW Sarangani Energy plant began in 2012 with the issuance of a notice to proceed to the plant’s EPC contractor Daelim. 

The first phase of the Sarangani Energy plant is expected to begin operations in 2015.

Alsons is the publicly-listed company of the Alcantara Group and holds a 75 percent stake in the Sarangani Energy plant while Toyota Tsusho Corp., the trading arm of the Toyota Group, owns the remaining 25 percent.

Alsons’ other power subsidiaries include Western Mindanao Power Corp.’s 100-MW diesel plant in Zamboanga City; Southern Philippines Power Corp.’s 55-MW diesel plant in Sarangani province; Mapalad Power Corp.’s 98-MW Iligan diesel power plant and Alto Power Management Corp.