Key Takeaways:
- Cebu’s rising demand for stable power supply is projected to surpass the available supply as early as 2027 if no new power plants are built.
- Ensuring the region has reliable and sufficient power supply will support its rapid economic growth.
- A third coal power plant may be the key to addressing Cebu’s power needs.
- Upon completion of construction, this power plant adds 150-megawatts (MW) of power.
- The power plant is a joint-venture between AboitizPower and Vivant Corp.
An expansion of AboitizPower’s current coal power plant in Toledo City is poised to fill Cebu’s power supply needs. Its construction hovers close to the horizon, eyeing an early 2025 start.
This comes as optimistic news delivered by AboitizPower Thermal Business Group’s chief operating officer Ronaldo Ramos at the “Good Design, Good Business Summit” of the Cebu Business Months (CBM) on June 14, 2024.
The Department of Energy projects the energy demand for Cebu Province will hit approximately 1,400 megawatts (MW) by 2026. By 2027, this demand will surpass the current available power supply if no new power plants are built.
For the Cebu province, addressing these persistent power supply needs are urgent. Supplying the province with steady, sufficient, and reliable power is critical to the economic growth of key areas such as Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu City, where tourism and business processing outsourcing (BPO) industries thrive.
“Addressing these power supply challenges is crucial in ensuring the province and the region can achieve its economic growth potential,” Ramos said.
The power plant expansion in Toledo City is the third addition to currently two coal-fired power plants. The project is a joint venture between AboitizPower and VivantCorp, and is operated by Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI).
TVI is securing bids from various OEM suppliers as it awaits its environmental compliance certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as well as its impact study from the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP). All three are required prior to the start of the power plant’s construction.
Additionally, AboitizPower is looking into a solar power plant in Calatrava, Negros Occidental. This solar plant could potentially supply additional power to Cebu and the western Visayas area when it goes online.
Ramos also said that more power can be tapped from other areas if transmission networks can be further improved. He emphasized during the summit that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. “Together, we possess the power to shape a future where we can proudly say we played a part in it.”