OFF-GRID power generator DMCI Power Corp. is proposing a P3-billion expansion of its coal-biomass power plant in Palawan, allowing the facility to generate a total of 30 megawatts (MW).
In its filing with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, DMCI Power said it plans to develop a facility that could produce an additional 15 MW of electricity.
Spanning a total area of 227,863 square meters in the municipality of Narra, the proposed expansion is part of the company’s contractual obligations with the Palawan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Paleco).
The electric cooperative reported a significant increase in demand in its service area, reaching beyond the combined capacity of the independent power producers (IPPs) on the island.
“Without power supply buffer, this concern tends to worsen during the scheduled shutdown of the IPPs as part of the operational maintenance causing rotational brownouts,” DMCI Power said.
The company said that it will continue to operate the existing 15-MW facility “but will be limited on generating power based on its maximum capacity.”
Without the expansion, it warned that potential issues may arise in the future as the current supply may not be able to address the existing and near-future demands of local consumers, if no other alternative power supply is deployed in the area.
The company did not disclose specific target on the commercial operations.
Established in 2006, DMCI Power primarily focuses on providing energy to off-grid small and remote islands. It currently operates and maintains thermal, bunker, and diesel plants on the islands of Masbate, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan.
DMCI Power is a subsidiary of Consunji-led engineering conglomerate DMCI Holdings, Inc., which maintains a diversified portfolio spanning across construction, real estate, mining, power, cement, water services. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
