Alsons Power Group recently launched the second 105 MW coal fired power generator of its unit, Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC), and announced the beginning of construction of its P4.5-B, 14.5 MW Siguil River hydroelectric power plant in Maasim, Sarangani.
According to an Inquirer report, the power plant complex can distribute power to over six million people in 10 provinces and 12 key cities in Mindanao including Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iligan, Butuan, Digos, Dipolog, and Pagadian.
“The milestones we celebrate […] are in line with our President’s vision of a Mindanao that enjoys the benefits of power security and the preservation of the environment by employing both traditional baseload power and renewable energy. The two power projects [coal and hydro] represent our own modest contribution in support of the President’s commitment to provide the needed infrastructure for the economic growth and sustainable development of Mindanao and the rest of the country,” Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. (ACR) Chair and President Tomas I. Alcantara said in the report.
The $570-M, or approximately P29-B, SEC plant is the single largest power investment in the Soccsksargen region. Additionally, the P4.5-B Siguil hydro plant is the firm’s initial entry into renewable energy and is expected to commence operations in 2022.
The hydro plant is expected to suffice for the electricity needs of Sarangani province, General Santos City, and key towns in South Cotabato. It will be the first of eight run-of-river hydropower facilities that the group aims to establish in different parts of Mindanao and Visayas.
The energy firm is also working on another 105 MW coal fired plant in Zamboanga that is expected to commence operations in 2023.
