CEBU-BASED Vivant Energy Corp. said its subsidiary had tapped Finnish firm Wärtsilä to provide the engineering and equipment for a 23-megawatt (MW) power plant that will supply power to Bantayan island.
“The new power plant is an essential element for a secure economic future for Bantayan island. We are, at the same time, actively seeking to deliver electricity to small islands throughout the region, and a capable, reliable partner, such as Wärtsilä, is needed for this,” said Emil Andre M. Garcia, chief operating officer of Vivant Energy, in a statement.
The company said the power plant under its unit Isla Norte Energy Corp. would supply electricity to the entire island in northern Cebu, which experiences frequent power interruptions because of the lack of a reliable power supply.
The power plant is expected to be completed in 2021.
Isla Norte is a joint venture of Vivant Energy and Gigawatt Power Corp. It was awarded a 15-year power supply agreement by the Bantayan Electric Cooperative, or Banelco.
Vivant Energy described Bantayan as having a population of about 80,000. It also said the area is a major tourist destination with a growing trade and commerce.
It quoted Frederic Carron, vice-president of Wärtsilä’s Middle East and Asia energy business, as saying: “We have enjoyed a long-term relationship with Gigawatt and Vivant, and are pleased to be again providing a power plant solution tailored to the specific requirements of the project.”
“The Wärtsilä solution features the latest technology with high efficiency engines, and it will certainly add reliability to the local supply system and another addition to the growing installed base in the off-grid areas in the Philippines,” he added.
Wartsila provided the engineering and equipment for Delta P, Inc., which operates a 47-MW diesel-fired power plant in Puerto Princesa, and the Calamian Islands Power Corp., which supplies power to the off-grid areas of Coron and Busuanga through the Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative.
