BusinessWorld Online cited Sarangani Energy vice-president for project implementation Nicandro Fucoy as saying during a media briefing that the plant with an initial capacity of 105MW will be operational by October 2015 and would reach the full 210MW capacity by 2016.
Covering 23.2ha area inside the 54ha Kamanga Agro-Industrial Ecozone, the power plant will initially produce 105MW (Section 1) output to power to around 3.47 million people in Sarangani, General Santos City, South Cotabato, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Tagum City, Samal Island, and most parts of Davao del Norte.
Maasim Mayor Aniceto Lopez said, "The coal-fired power plant is the single biggest investment in Sarangani Province and the entire Region 12 (Soccsksargen)."
The total cost of the 210MW coal plant is $570m, of which Section 1 of the plant will cost $309m including the transmission lines.
Plant project manager Fernando Corrales said, "We will source our cooling water from the Siguil River, which is 12 kilometers from the plant site. The company is presently installing the underground water pipes that will connect the plant to the river."
