EDC downsizes geothermal plant

Bacolod City — The Energy Development Corp. is replacing the 40-megawatt Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant in Bago City with a smaller unit.

The EDC planned to transfer its original equipment to its Nasulo geothermal project in Valencia town, Negros Oriental, NNGP vice president Dwight Maxino said.

“The re-sized NNGP will match the field and power plant capacities, and allow the facility to run efficiently,” Maxino said in his letter to Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez Jr. released to the media Wednesday.

The resource assessment revealed that the NNGP could be sustainably operated at 5 megawatts to 10MW with support from the geothermal buffer zone in Mt. Kanlaon, he said.

Maxino added that the estimated capacity of the NNGP was arrived at after the analysis of the data collected from the two extended well discharge tests.

By transferring NNGP’s original equipment, the EDC could have better use of the 40-MW facility, which would produce more power at the Nasulo steamfield, he explained.

The generated power would be offered to customers, including the electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental, Maxino said.

He said the geothermal supply for Negros Occidental would consist of the right-sized NNGP plant, plus additional sources the Victorias-Manapla-Cadiz Rural Electrification Service Cooperative and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), which have power supply contracts with Green Core Geothermal Inc. in Palimpinon town in Negros Oriental and Tongonan town in Leyte. /INQUIRER