SAN MIGUEL Global Power Holdings Corp. (SMGP), the facility generation arm of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), has secured regulatory approval to construct a P1.7-billion dedicated transmission facility to attach the expansion of its Masinloc coal-fired power plant to the Luzon grid.
In a 19-page decision, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) authorized Masinloc Power Co. Ltd. (MPCL) to develop, own, and operate dedicated point-to-point transmission facilities that can connect the expansion of its 700-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Zambales to the transmission network.
MPCL, a subsidiary of SMGP, owns and operates the Masinloc Power Plant.
The corporate is expanding the ability by constructing two additional generating units with a combined capability of 700 MW, or 350 MW each. The 2 units are scheduled for completion between 2025 and 2026.
Under the approved connection scheme, the expanded coal-fired power plant will initially hook up with the Castillejos Substation of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) before shifting to the Palauig Substation as its everlasting connection.
“To begin industrial operations, the Masinloc [coal-fired power plant] must first be connected to the grid. Accordingly, the event of the topic facilities is vital to enable the said connection and permit MPCL to deliver power to the system,” the ERC said.
Last yr, SMGP said it had earmarked about P87.1 billion in capital expenditures for 3 baseload power projects.
The budget includes P15.8 billion for the Masinloc expansion, P34.4 billion for a 600-MW coal-fired power plant in Mariveles, Bataan, and P36.9 billion for a 1,320-MW gas-fired power plant in Batangas.
SMGP has a diversified power generation portfolio that features natural gas, coal, renewable energy, corresponding to hydropower, and battery energy storage systems. The corporate also operates a retail electricity supply business and has investments in electricity distribution. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera