TACLOBAN CITY – The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) has donated assets from a decommissioned power plant to the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)-Ormoc Campus to help enhance the learning experience of its engineering and technology students.

EDC signed a deed of donation with EVSU President Dennis De Paz for the full transfer of ownership of heavy machinery from its Upper Mahiao Plant in Kananga, Leyte, to the university. The donation will give students direct access to real-world power generation equipment.

The donated equipment includes one Ormat Energy Converter (OEC) Power Shelter housing switchgear within a 40-foot container van, one OEC turbine, two condensate return pumps, one six-inch wedge-type gate valve, one 30-horsepower motor, one pneumatic actuator, and four Ex-pentane feed pump headers.

De Paz said the donated equipment will be converted into hands-on laboratory training tools.

“This generous contribution marks a vital milestone for EVSU-Ormoc, bridging the gap between theoretical classroom learning and practical, real-world engineering applications,” the university said in a statement.

“By transforming retired industrial assets into invaluable instructional tools, this synergistic partnership not only equips the next generation of engineers with high-caliber, hands-on expertise but also establishes an inspiring benchmark for corporate-academic collaboration across the region,” it added.

In October 2025, EDC announced that it was exploring options to repurpose the Upper Mahiao Power Plant after it reached the end of its operational lifespan.

EDC, the renewable energy arm of First Gen Corporation, said the decommissioning will be carried out in phases beginning in 2026, with full decommissioning targeted by 2029.

The Upper Mahiao Power Plant, which began commercial operations in 1996, is the first geothermal project in the Philippines built under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme. It is recognized globally as a pioneering large-scale geothermal steam-binary combined-cycle plant that utilizes air-cooled condensers.

The facility is part of EDC's Unified Leyte geothermal complex, which also includes the 232-megawatt (MW) Malitbog, 180-MW Mahanagdong, and 51-MW Optimization power plants.