Aboitiz Power shuts down Navotas barge

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz Power Corp. is shutting down its diesel-fired power barges moored in Navotas next month due to lack of power supply agreements (PSA).

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, AboitizPower said its subsidiary Therma Mobile Inc. (TMO) is placing its power barges on reserve shutdown.

TMO said it would physically disconnect from Manila Electric Co.’s system and deregister as a trading participant in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) on July 15.

“TMO’s bunker-C fired diesel power plants located in Navotas, Metro Manila will be on reserve shutdown in the absence of a (PSA) duly approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC),” AboitizPower said.

In February 2019, TMO had already physically disconnected its barges from Meralco’s system and deregistered in the WESM.

However, it signed a PSA with Meralco on April 26, 2019 for a term of one year.

“This contract has not been renewed and currently, TMO has no ERC-approved PSA,” AboitizPower said.

TMO has also sent notices to Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines Inc. (IEMOP), Department of Energy (DOE), National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), and ERC, pursuant to the notice requirements under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), its implementing rules, and other relevant rules and regulations.

TMO has four barges-mounted floating power plants with an installed capacity of 242 megawatts (MW) moored in the Navotas Fishport Complex.

The power barges were acquired from the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. in 2011.

Based on the company’s website, the barges have undergone rehabilitation starting July 2011 and commercial operations began on Nov. 12, 2013 at a capacity of 100 MW.