The Department of Energy (DOE) will aid the Energy World Corp.’s (EWC) transmission lines problem in its liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Quezon to enable the plant to provide capacity to the Luzon grid.

Energy World International country manager Eduardo Rodriguez said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has directed a team to address the problem and enable the 650-megawatt (MW) Pagbilao plant to transmit power to Luzon.

“EWC would like to thank Secretary Cusi for his commitment to help us complete this project. On our part, we are committed to fast-track other aspects of project development so that we are able to deliver power at the soonest possible time,” Rodriguez said.

Energy World International is the parent company of EWC, who told the government it would build power generation facilities to support the country’s needed power supply. However, transmission problems halted the project.

Rodriguez added that the Quezon power plant is in line with the government’s push for cleaner energy sources as it will use natural gas.

“Our project assures that LNG can be made available even after natural gas from the Malampaya project is depleted less than a decade from today,” he said.

Rodriguez said it is working with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) to deliver power to the Luzon grid when the facility is finished. TeaM Energy Philippines, who has an existing line for its power plant, will also offer assistance.

The project is nearing completion but still needs to secure funds from its lenders like the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Asia United Bank Corp.

“The main issue currently preventing the drawdown of funds with EWC’s lenders remains clarification regarding EWC’s transmission arrangements. EWC’s lenders require clarification regarding a right of way owned by PSALM and certain clarifications from NGCP,” Rodriguez said.