Mirant energizes island off Subic

THE Philippine unit of Mirant has infused fresh capital for the construction of a two-and-a-half kilometer submarine cable that will energize key locations in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Worth P42 million, the 13.8-kilovolt submarine cable will supply four megawatts of electricity from Camayan Point to nearby Grande Island, which is sufficient to provide power to a dozen commercial tourist destinations in the zone.

Besides increasing its productivity, Mirant Philippines president James R. Harris believes that providing electricity to the island will boost the area’s economic activity, including tourism.
The Subic Bay Freeport Zone is considered as among the country’s premier investment sites, housing major firms including Fed Ex, Wistron (formerly Acer), and Sankyo Seiki. It is also the site of Ocean Adventure, a theme park.

“We are pleased to announce the completion of this submarine cable which can help boost Subic’s tourism industry and possibly attract more businesses and visitors,” Harris said.

The IPP supplies power to the Freeport through the Subic Enerzone Co., the utility firm that distributes electricity within the zone.

The provision of electricity in Grande Island is part of Mirant Philippines’ rural electrification efforts.

Besides supplying electricity to 1,000 villages, it has built over 11,000 kilometers of distribution lines, benefiting an estimated 1.5 million individuals in 33 provinces.

Mirant Philippines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Mirant Corp., is the largest private producer of electricity in the country, owning more than 2,000 MW of installed generating capacity nationwide.

It is also the biggest supplier of electricity to the National Power Corp. through its nine plants nationwide including the coal-fired plant in Sual, Pangasinan, which supplies about 1,218 MW of power to the state-owned firm.

Not only does it have a stake in the natural gas-fired 1,200 MW Ilijan power plant in southern Luzon, Mirant also owns the 700 MW coal-fired plant in Pagbilao, Quezon, which has been discovered by environmentalists, such as Greenpeace, to emit toxic substances.-- Niel V. Mugas