The commercial operations of the first phase of the 1,336 MW Dinginin coal-fired power plant has been delayed due to the virus outbreak.
The joint venture of the Ayala and Aboitiz groups is located in Mariveles, Bataan.
Training operations head of the Independent Electricity Market Operators of the Philippines Inc. (IEMOP) Robinson P. Descanzo told reporters that the Chinese engineers who will be part of the plant’s testing and commissioning processes would not be able to travel due to the travel ban imposed because of COVID-19, according to a report.
Descanzo added that the commercial operations initially slated for April had been moved to June. Hence, the power plant cannot add additional capacity in summer power supply.
The Dinginin plant’s first phase of 668 MW is expected to be an additional power supply to the Luzon grid by the second half of this year. The second phase of the unit of the same capacity is targeted to contribute in the early part of 2021.
Director Mario Marasigan of the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) of the Department of Energy (DOE) confirmed the dilemma of the Chinese engineers and noted that the capacity of the Dinginin plant was no longer expected to be part of the additional supply for the summer.
The Dinginin plant is the last major power plant that will be reaching commercial operations before the energy department’s roster of projects would turn deficient in terms of giga-capacity level of installations.
