Aboitiz prepares for hike in Minda power demand

As the business sector anticipates a power crisis in Mindanao,  the Aboitiz Power Company (APC) acquired additional facilities that would augment the existing units to sustain supply.
APC president and chief executive officer Erramon I. Aboitiz announced  they just acquired two power barges (PBs) through the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) for $30 million.  The  barges) are fully operational but APC would need more funds to rehabilitate them, he said.
He said PB 117 is stationed in Agusan, while PB 118 in Davao and both are capable of generating about 200 megawatts.
Aboitiz said the looming power crisis in Mindanao is a big concern of the company being one of the major players in the power business.
He said the power barges are good stop-gap measures to address power outages.
“If there will be shortages of power supply because of the weather like when El Nino would cause the water elevation to drop, the barges will be of importance,” he said.
The Sibulan hydro project of Hedcor, on Aboitiz company, would soon be completed and is capable of generating 42.5 megawatt of clean and emissions-free energy.
At the same time, Aboitiz said the company’s newly launched power brand is anchored on their promise of Better Solutions.
The brand  he said is anchored on three values — pro-active to anticipate and meet customer needs, experts as they will continuously acquire, share and apply their knowledge, and responsible as they commit to sustain the earth’s resources and environment.
He said their brand of “Cleanergy” is about clean and renewable energy that would leave a lighter impact on Earth’s climate and promote the usage of clean and renewable energy from sources that as sustainable and cleaner compared to traditional energy sources.
Aboitiz  said under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, power users are given a “green option” or the right to ask their distributors to tap renewable sources of energy.                          
“Consumers can make choices where and what kind of power they buy,” he said.
He said  APC’s brand of clean and renewable power, concretizes the company’s promise of providing an energy solution that will give consumers an option to reduce their carbon footprint and attain a more sustainable lifestyle as AP believes that is is every Filipino’s right to live a sustainable life. [Prix D. Banzon]