Daily TribuneThe company said over the weekend that the new project sites are in geothermal-rich areas within the provinces of Kalinga, Benguet, Cagayan, Quezon, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur
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Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc. (PGPC), a portfolio company of the SM Investment Corp., is developing five new concession sites spread across the Luzon region that could generate as much as 400 megawatts (MW) baseload supply for the country.
The company said over the weekend that the new project sites are in geothermal-rich areas within the provinces of Kalinga, Benguet, Cagayan, Quezon, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.
PGPC said the ongoing developments will establish fully functioning geothermal fields capable of producing an additional 250 to 400 MW of renewable baseload power.
The power supply from these areas would be distributed to power plants and other potential customers to provide them with a dependable and sustainable source of electricity.
“With these projects slated for completion within the next 5 to 7 years, they will be sources of additional renewable baseload power that will help reduce the risk of power supply shortages in the Luzon power grid,” PGPC president Napoleon L. Saporsantos Jr. said.
“They will also play a pivotal role in the Department of Energy’s target of having renewable energy sources account for at least 50 percent of the country’s total power capacity by 2040,” he added.
Livelihood creation
According to Saporsantos, the various projects are anticipated to generate over 2,000 employment opportunities — from the exploration and development stages up until the commencement of commercial operations.
In the hiring process, he said qualified residents within our host communities will be prioritized.
Established as Philippine Geothermal Inc., PGPC pioneered Southeast Asia’s first commercial geothermal power project in 1971.
The company currently operates the Tiwi steam field in Albay and the Mak-Ban steam field spanning Laguna and Batangas.
