A new 6.464-megawatt diesel plant had started its operation as power provider of Siquijor province.
The plant, built at a cost of more than 466.44 million pesos, is operated by Siquijor Island Power Corporation, a Villar-backed company led by Prime Asset Ventures Inc., according to Engineer Rommel Orillaza of Sipcor.
Sipcor’s power stations will be interconnected with the 13.8-kiloVolt network of the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative, which has been serving a total of 22,503 consumers.
Laureen Malolot of PROSIELCO said Sipcor has a 20-year power supply agreement with the cooperative, and that it is now expected to address the present generation capacity requirements and even future demand of the province.
Malolot said Sipcor constructed, owned and managed brand new bunker-fired power generating facilities, consisting of two power stations with an installed capacity of 3.2 mW. One station is located in the island’s town of Siquijor while the other is in Lazi town.
With the Sipcor’s plant, consumers will still pay the same government-subsidized rate of P 11.2269 per kilowatt-hour, added Malolot.
The plant’s opening ceremony was attended by Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and National Power Corporation president and chief executive officer Gladys Sta. Rita, along with provincial officials, mayors and business investors.
Petilla said his visit to the island was to make sure that Sipcor will not be delayed in the commissioning and that all the promised power generation and facilities will be put in place.
“The economic activity nowadays is really measured by electricity consumption. The more electricity you actually consumed, that’s what when you can gauge whether something is moving in that area. And we are working on a long- term solutions of power to be stable and cheaper,” Petilla said.
Napocor will have to leave Siquijor as this was programmed to be privatized, but Petilla opposed this and that the island will still be backed by the firm’s power service.
“Napocor should not be pulled-out until stable of power supply will be availed by Siquijodnons,” Petilla added.