After almost a year of rehabilitation, AboitizPower has restored and launched its six-megawatt Binary Plant at the Makiling-Banahaw Geothermal project in Batangas and Laguna.
“It took us more than a year to complete the rehabilitation, but we are able to add 6MW installed capacity of renewable energy to our facility,” AboitizPower Renewables Inc. President and COO Felino Bernardo said during the launch.
The Binary 1 was among the three binary cycle power plants in the MakBan Geothermal Project Complex that were decommissioned in 2008. It was the only plant found viable for rehabilitation.
Binary 1 became operational during the second half of 2016 after the restoration work was completed. Restoration work for the plant cost P130 million.
“This project would mean more development projects which would benefit the communities. It will be benefiting not only the children but the entire communities that you have,” DOE Director for renewable energy, Mario Marasigan said.
AP President and COO Antonio Moraza said that the restoration of the Binary 1 shows the company’s commitment to renewable energy.
“We have always emphasized that AboitizPower will continue to pursue renewable energy projects for as long as it is sensible and cost-effective for our customers and for us,” Moraza said.
The AP official also said there is the potential of over 20 megawatts of power in the Tiwi geothermal project.
APRI uses geothermal brine and pentane to generate power for Binary 1. A binary plant maximizes the excess heat from geothermal power plants to extract more energy.