Geothermal Power Plant: Chapter I: Introduction
Geothermal Power Plant: Chapter I: Introduction
Geothermal Power Plant: Chapter I: Introduction
Chapter I: Introduction
NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE COMPANY
Political Region: V
BRIEF HISTORY
Between 1964 and 1968, the Commission on Volcanology initiated exploration of the Tiwi
geothermal field. Geologic mapping and geological surveys were undertaken and
temperature gradient holes were drilled during that period.
In early 1971, upon the invitation of the Philippine Government, Union Oil Company of
California (Unocal) formed Philippine Geothermal, Inc. (PGI) to explore for and develop
geothermal resources. Through a service contract entered into with the state-owned National
Power Corporation (NPC) on September 10, 1971, PGI provided the technical expertise and a
portion of the funding for exploration and subsequent development of the Tiwi geothermal
area. NPC, for its part, was responsible for building and operating the power plants.
Even before the energy crisis of the early seventies, the Philippine government already
initiated efforts to develop the country’s indigenous energy resources. The general intent was
to lessen the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. In 1967, recognizing the
potential and benefits of geothermal development, the Philippine Congress enacted Republic
Act No. 5092, otherwise known as the Geothermal Law. RA No. 5092 stipulates that natural
gases and geothermal energy resources belong to the State and enabled the government to
set aside or reserve lands as geothermal reservations. Thereafter, Presidential Decree (PD)
739 was issued on August 1, 1970 that established 17,661 hectares in Albay Province to
constitute the Tiwi geothermal reservation.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
The Tiwi field has an installed capacity of 275 MWe and is located about 300-km
southeast of Manila in the Albay Province. Exploration began in 1964, and power was first
generated in 1979. By 1982 Tiwi became the world’s first water-dominated geothermal
system to produce more than 160 MWe. Philippine Geothermal, Inc. (PGI) operates the steam
field and the National Power Corporation (NPC) constructed and operates the power plants.
The Tiwi geothermal field is located on the northeast flank of Mt. Malinao, an extinct
Quaternary stratovolcano in the East Philippine Volcanic Arc. This arc is a belt of upper –
Miocene to Recent calc-alkaline volcanoes associated with subduction along the Philippine
Trench. Mt. Malinao is composed dominantly of <0.5 million year-old andesitic lavas and
lesser pyroclastic rocks.
LOCATION MAP
Appraisal
In response to the serious lack of electricity mentioned above, the country enacted BOT
law in 1990 and Electric Power Crisis Act in 1993 to promote private participation in
power generation sector.
Power shortage persisted in the Philippines since the second half of 1980’s and peaked
by power crisis in 1992-1993, during which power-cut that lasts 5 hours or longer
occurred frequently. Development of power supply source, recovery of output and
improvement of obsolete power generation facilities were needed for stable power supply.
The project was requested by the country as an emergency measure to counter the power
crisis by rehabilitating power generation facilities. Accordingly, needs of the project is
deemed to have been quite high at appraisal phase.
However, thanks to an active introduction of Independent Power Producer: IPP
centering foreign capital, power shortage was resolved by 1994. As shown in Figure-1,
power generation facility always had additional capacity of 3,000MW or more beyond the
demand, since economic crisis in Asia and at appraisal in 2008. Nevertheless, Power
Supply and Demand Outlook (2006-2014) compiled by the Department of Energy: DOE,
estimates that power shortage will occur again around 2010, and therefore, strengthening
of power generation facility is necessary. Since the target of the project is to promote an
effective use of geothermal energy for balanced use of resources and stable power supply,
there was a need for the project in times of evaluation, too
The Aboitiz Group’s involvement in the power sector goes all the way back to around
1918 when documents show the Aboitiz family owned around a 20% equity stake in the
Visayan Electric Company (VECO), which was started by a group of Cebu-based
businessmen in 1905.
In 1930, Aboitiz patriarch Ramon Aboitiz purchased from the Borromeo family the
Ormoc Electric Light Company, the first utility the Aboitiz Group actually owned and
managed. It was also in the 1930s when the Group partnered with Francisco Such for Jolo
Power Company. In 1935, Cotabato Light and Power Company was acquired, followed by
Davao Light and Power Company in 1946.
In 1978, the Ormoc and Jolo utilities were divested and converted into electric
cooperatives. That same year, the Hydro Electric Development Corporation (Hedcor), was
organized to venture into the hydroelectric power generation business. By 1990, Hedcor
had a portfolio of 14 plants and 36 MW of installed capacity. In 1996, the 70-MW Bakun
hydro plant was commissioned by Luzon Hydro Corporation, an Aboitiz joint venture with
Pacific Hydro Pty Ltd of Australia.
AboitizPower was incorporated in 1998 to hold the Group’s investments in the power
sector. The company initially held only power generation assets but in early 2007, holdings
in the distribution utilities Davao Light, Cotabato Light, Subic EnerZone, San Fernando
Electric and VECO were transferred to AboitizPower. Later that same year, ownership in
Balamban EnerZone and Mactan EnerZone were added into the company.
AboitizPower had an eventful year in 2007. In July, it became publicly listed at the
Philippine Stock Exchange. In August, together with Vivant Energy Corporation of the
Garcia Group, partnered with Global Business Power Corporation of the Metrobank Group
to form Cebu Energy Development Corporation (CEDC) for the construction and operation
of a 246-MW coal-fired plant in Cebu island. This plant is due for commissioning in the first
quarter of 2010. In November, AboitizPower closed the agreement for the purchase of a
34% stake in STEAG Power, which owns and operates a 232-MW coal-fired plant in
Mindanao island. In December, SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet, the joint venture between
AboitizPower and SN Power of Norway, won the bid for and awarded the Ambuklao-Binga
hydropower complex consisting of the 100-MW Binga and 75-MW Ambuklao power plants.
In October 2009, AboitizPower, through wholly owned Therma Luzon, Inc. (TLI), bid
for and was awarded an Independent Power Producer-Administrator (IPPA) contract for
the output of the 700-MW coal-fired Pagbilao power plant in Quezon province.
In February and March 2010, AboitizPower through its subsidiary, Therma Mobile,
assumed ownership and operations of PB118 (renamed Mobile 1) and PB117 (renamed
Mobile 2), after acquiring the two power barges from PSALM for U.S.$30 million through a
negotiated bid concluded last July 31, 2009. Each of the barge-mounted, diesel-powered
generation plants has a generating capacity of 100 MW. PB 117 and PB 118 are moored in
Nasipit, Agusan del Norte and Barangay San Roque, Maco, Compostela Valley, respectively.
Within the same month of March, 2 greenfield projects became operational. The first
of two units of the Sibulan Hydro power plant, operated by Hedcor Sibulan Inc, started its
commercial operations with 26 MW. The second unit, or 16.5 MW is expected to
commence commercial operations within second quarter of 2010. Meanwhile, unit 1 of the
coal-fired power plant of CEDC with 82 MW was also commissioned in March, while the
second and third units by the second and fourth quarter of 2010, respectively.
Structural organization for operation and maintenance
Demand of power in the Philippines is converted in Luzon Grid by about 75%, however,
construction or addition of a new power generation facility didn’t take place until the second
half of 1980s. Due to the deterioration of facilities, power generation function was seriously
deteriorated and chronic power-cut persisted due to the lack of electricity until the first half
of 1990s.the basic idea of the 3 energy policies upheld by the government of the Philippines
were “reliable power supply at reasonable price”, “promotion of efficient energy use” and
“development of energy with minimum environmental impact”. Based on the basic idea, the
country targeted to reduce dependency on imported oil from 51.4% in 1986 to 46.9% in 1992
and strengthen geothermal power generation.
The Philippines has the second most abundant geothermal energy In the world after the
U.S in production and utilization of geothermal energy.
GENERAL CONSIDERATION
Geothermal power plants use relatively small acreages, and don't require storage,
transportation, or combustion of fuels. Either no emissions or just steam are visible. These
qualities reduce the overall visual impact of power plants in scenic regions.
Emissions are low. Only excess steam is emitted by geothermal flash plants. No air
emissions or liquids are discharged by binary geothermal plants, which are projected to
become the dominant technology in the near future.
Salts and dissolved minerals contained in geothermal fluids are usually reinjected with
excess water back into the reservoir at a depth well below groundwater aquifers. This
recycles the geothermal water and replenishes the reservoir. This system will prolong the
life of the reservoir as it recycles the treated wastewater.
Some geothermal plants do produce some solid materials, or sludges, that require
disposal in approved sites. Some of these solids are now being extracted for sale (zinc, silica,
and sulfur, for example), making the resource even more valuable and environmentally
friendly.
Several attributes make it a good source of energy.
First, it's clean. Energy can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or
oil. Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a relatively
clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces, and very little if any, of the nitrous oxide or
sulfur-bearing gases. Binary plants, which are closed cycle operations, release essentially no
emissions.
Geothermal energy is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Geothermal power
plants have average availabilities of 90% or higher, compared to about 75% for coal plants.
Geothermal power is homegrown, reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
PUMP
The operating characteristics of deep well pumping equipment in a geothermal well power-
generation system are observed by cooperating sensor and communication elements
permanently associated with the geothermal well equipment itself. Bridge circuit sensors
detect well water temperature and water pressure below and above the pump, while a
further sensor detects pump rotational speed. The data is transmitted by a multiplexing
acoustic communication link coupled to receiver and display means located at the earth's
surface. An electrical generator driven at the pump speed serves as the rotational speed pick
off and additionally supplies multiplexing and signal processor power for use at the down-well
site. The signal processor includes novel diode circuits in each bridge sensor channel for
monitoring the operation of the individual sensors and their common power source, thereby
providing a surface display of the parameter being measured by a particular sensor channel
and additionally providing a calibrating display of the operating status of that channel.
GEOTHERMAL TURBINE
A cooling tower is a heat rejection device, which extracts waste heat to the atmosphere
though the cooling of a water stream to a lower temperature. Common applications for
cooling towers are providing cooled water for air-conditioning, manufacturing and electric
power generation. The generic term "cooling tower" is used to describe both direct (open
circuit) and indirect (closed circuit) heat rejection equipment. A direct, or open-circuit cooling
tower is an enclosed structure with internal means to distribute the warm water fed to it over
a labyrinth-like packing or "fill." The fill may consist of multiple, mainly vertical, wetted
surfaces upon which a thin film of water spreads. An indirect, or closed circuit cooling tower
involves no direct contact of the air and the fluid, usually water or a glycol mixture, being
cooled. In a counter-flow cooling tower air travels upward through the fill or tube bundles,
opposite to the downward motion of the water. In a cross-flow cooling tower air moves
horizontally through the fill as the water moves downward. Cooling towers are also
characterized by the means by which air is moved. Because evaporation consists of pure
water, the concentration of dissolved minerals and other solids in circulating water will tend
to increase unless some means of dissolved-solids control, such as blow-down, is provided.
Some water is also lost by droplets being carried out with the exhaust air (drift).
MIST ELIMINATOR
Special devices developed in1947 to remove mist from gas streams. Now known as mist
eliminators, these devices provide a large surface area in a small volume to collect liquid
without substantially impeding gas flow. Unlike filters, which hold particles indefinitely, mist
eliminators coalesce (merge) fine droplets and allow the liquid to drain away. Gas typically flows
upward through a horizontal mist eliminator.
More recently, advances in technology have enabled substantial progress in mist eliminator
designs, materials, and application expertise. New products and methods of use have been
found highly effective for many purposes, especially the following:
• Increasing throughput
• Downsizing new vessels
• Improving product purity
• Cutting operating costs
• Reducing environmental pollution
• Reducing downstream corrosion
• Increasing recovery of valuable liquids
MOISTURE SEPARATOR
Moisture separators are used to remove as much moisture from the steam as possible
before it goes to the turbine. In boiling water reactors (BWR) the steam going to the turbines is
close to saturated conditions. In pressurized water reactors (PWR) the steam going to the low-
pressure turbines also passes through moisture separators. If moisture in the form of water
droplets enters the turbine it causes erosion damage to the turbine blades.
The condensate that accumulates in the moisture separators is drained off to be used in
feedwater heaters or forwarded to the condenser. The temperature and pressure of the
condensate are at saturation conditions, and a decrease in pressure will cause it to flash to
steam. Flashing often occurs in the drain valves where the pressure in the next stage of the
process is lower. The volume of the steam is much greater than the volume of condensate per
pound mass, therefore, to pass the same flow rate through a pipe the velocity of the steam is
much higher. When flashing occurs inside a control valve it usually begins just after the final
pressure drop stage. Here the condensate is in a transitional state between liquid and vapor.
Since the vapor moves through the downstream portion of the valve faster than the liquid, the
water droplets are accelerated to high velocity. When these droplets strike the valve body or
downstream piping they can cause erosion. The high velocities of the vapor can also be a source
of noise and vibration, leading to valve damage.
Flowserve Anchor/Darling Valves with MSMP (Multi Stage Multi Path)
MSMP trim channels the flow through a series of orifices to reduce the pressure in stages.
This prevents the condensate from cavitating inside the valve and dissipates most of the energy
before the last stage. Flashing is only allowed across the last stage. The velocity of the fluid is
kept low to prevent erosion of the valve body.
FE trim works well for applications requiring one or two
stages of pressure reduction. Each stage consists of many
small holes drilled into cylinders. The condensate pressure is
reduced by directing the flow through the small holes.
Flashing occurs across the last stage and velocities are kept
low to prevent erosion of the valve body. Both styles of trim,
FE and MSMP, reduce noise and vibration.
As part of your hydraulic pumping system, the Weatherford Oilmaster Wellhead Control
Valve is designed to provide your installation that extra measure of convenience and safety.
Located at the wellhead, this component controls the flow direction of the high-pressure fluid
that powers the downhole pump. Shift the lever and the power fluid flows down the tubing to
run-in the “free” pump and operate it. To pump-out and retrieve, another shift of the lever
directs the flow down through the annulus and up the tubing, lifting the pump to the surface.
Once at the surface, a built-in bypass circuit lets you exchange the pump without shutting down
your power source. This feature helps prevent fluid shocks when reversing flow direction, too.
A down hole pump is a tool used in the well which admits fluid from the producing CBM
well into the tubing and lifts that fluid to the surface. A down hole pump is used in conjuction
with the pump jack and its rod string. The entire process of lifting fluid by means of a down hole
pump works as a straw in a glass of water.
Downhole submersible pumps are a key component for large scale power generation from
geothermal resources. Both Hydrothermal and Enhanced Geothermal Systems require a robust
serviceable pump capable of bringing heat to the surface. Both literature review and interviews
with geothermal experts confirmed the importance of such a pump in advancing the
development of the technology.
Specification:
Specification:
Steam jet ejectors are often used to pull vacuum on surface condensers, evaporators, etc. A
high pressure, motive, fluid (usually steam) enters the ejector chest through a nozzle and then
expands. This converts its pressure energy to velocity. The increased velocity causes reduced
pressure, which sucks in and entrains gas from the suction. The diffuser section then
recompresses the mixed steam/gas stream to some intermediate pressure. The exhaust is then
sent to a condenser which quickly condenses the steam at a low pressure and temperature so
that the volume quickly decreases.
Specification:
A cyclone type separator is used to clean the geothermal steam that is extracted from a
geothermal reservoir beneath the earth by removing brine, condensed fluids, dirt, and some
other particulates that are harmful to the turbine blades of a power plant.
Specification:
The processes that give rise to geothermal waters take place naturally deep beneath the
surface of the earth and involve water-rock interactions at high pressures and elevated
temperatures. The resultant fluids contain varying concentrations of dissolved and suspended
rock-based elements such as silica, chlorides, carbonates and sulfur compounds among others
in varying quantities. The fluids reach the surface equipment with varying quantities of these
elements and quantities of gases depending on the geothermal field. The presence of these
elements in geothermal fluids present major challenges in the maintenance of equipment in
geothermal power plants (GPPs). The suspended solids which include silica, chlorides and
rock cuttings are transported in the hot water and can settle at the bottom of equipment and
can cause blockage on the hot water equipment and drains. The dissolved solids like silica,
chlorides and sulfur precipitate when the saturation conditions are reached and cause scaling
on the walls of equipment. The scaling causes blockages, sealing and impedes normal
functioning of equipment. Dissolved and mixed gases which include hydrogen sulfide (H2S),
oxygen and carbondioxide (CO2) can make the solution acidic which can cause accelerated
corrosion in the presence of heat, water and oxygen.
To understand and determine maintenance needs of GPPs, a failure mode and effect
analysis (FMEA) was performed. All the potential failures for each equipment in the plant were
established together with the all the possible causes each potential failures. All the possible
consequences are determined and the maintenance actions needed to prevent the potential
failure or mitigate after failure has occured can be determined by analysing the failure mode.
A detailed FMEA for a GPP is presented in Appendix 1. A summary of potential failures and
corrective and preventive maintenance needs for GPPs are given in Table 8.
The maintenance practices in GPPs vary from vary from one field to another depending on
the nature of field, the plant design and the inherent practices. Each plant has its own method
of doing maintenance based on experience and unique problems in the plant in addition to
recommendations by manufacturers of equipment. Visits and interviews were contacted in
selected GPPs in Iceland, in addition to experience from Olkaria GPPs in Kenya. An
overview of maintenance practices in these power plants in relation to properties of the
geothermal fluids is discussed.
In a typical electricity producing GPP, the main processes are steam gathering and
transmission, turbine and its auxiliaries, generator and electrical, Gas extraction, cooling
processes and instrumentation and controls. A summary of the main components in the
processes is shown in Table 8. Only the major components under each system are presented.
Failure modes define the ways that failure of equipment occurs and the circumstance
associated with the failure. The causes of failure refer to the likely originators of the failure
while the effects of failure define what happens if and when failure occurs. The effects of
failure include functional, the safety, operational and the economic consequences. The effects
of the potential failure affect the maintenance approach to be adopted for the particular
equipment whether to prevent the failure from happening or correct the failure after it
happens. In doing a FMEA for GPP, the main equipment was grouped into steam gathering
and transmission, Turbine and accessories, Cooling and the non-condensable gas extraction
system, the generator and electrical system and Instrumentation, control and protection. The
FMEA analysis for each of the systems in a GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT
The main equipment in the steam gathering and transmission system consist of different
types and sizes of valves which include master valves, service valves, drain valves and control
valves; pipelines which include two phase pipelines, hot water and steam pipelines; separators
that include steam separators, mist separators and condensate drains; silencers and hot water
disposal system.
Valves Separator
Lost Disk, Leakage Wrong quality, Rupture
The turbine equipment consists of the turbine rotor and rotor bearings, the casing and
diaphragms and the steam glands. The auxiliaries include steam control valves, emergency
steam valves and the steam strainers. The turbine rotor is one of the most expensive
equipment in GPPs and requires well designed maintenance processes to minimize the risk of
failures. A summary of FMEA for a turbine system is illustrated in Figure below where the
possible failures are given at the roots, the possible causes as links and the effects at the head
of the diagram.
The cooling system in a GPP is consists of the cooling towers made up of cooling fans and
cooling tower structures, hot well pumps and pipes and the steam condenser. The NCG
extraction system consists of the gas cooling section in the condenser, the steam jet ejectors
and vacuum pumps and the inter-condensers. A summary of the FMEA for the system is
summarized in Figure below.
Cooling tower Condenser
Scaling on tubes
Corrosion on tube
Fouling
of fills Fan blade failure
Effects
Poor cooling
Loss of vacuum
Blockage Wear Bearing Loss of efficiency
of nozzles failure
The generator consists of the generator rotor and stator, rotor bearings, generator air
coolers and the excitation system. The equipment grouped as electrical system consisting of
power cables, switchgear, transformers, motors and relays and several electrical gadgets. Figure
above is an illustration of the failure cause effect diagram for the generator and electrical
system which shows what can fail, the causes and what happens when the failures occur.
Generator rotor Generator stator
Vibration, rubbing Heating, arcing
The instrumentation, control and protection are very important parts of a GPP. The
instrumentation covers a wide variety of instruments installed in the GPP. The type of
instruments depends on the level of technology in the design of the plant but they all serve the
purpose of monitoring and communicating the performance of the GPP. The instruments
include pressure gauges, temperature gauges, vacuum meters, flow meters etc. The control
function is important to ensure the GPP operates within the required limits. Control system
receive measured parameter signal and use the value of the signal to generate a control signal
to keep the performance within what is desired. One common control system in GPPs is the
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. The protection systems include all
the systems installed to ensure the plant components are protected. They include the
protection relays for the generator, transformers and the turbine protection. Because of the
sensitivity of these systems, their sound operation is critical. A FMEA for the system is
presented in Figure below.
SCADA
Working signal, No signal DCS
Damage No power
cables
Relays Instruments
From the findings of the FMEA for each component, the maintenance actions needed to
prevent or correct the failures are deduced. The mode of execution of the maintenance needs
will depend on the maintenance approach applied and will be guided by the management
method applied. Corrective maintenance actions will be required to correct equipment failure
that has occurred. In some cases, it is effective to perform a failure preventive maintenance
instead of corrective maintenance. The preventive maintenance actions are guided by
measured indicators of potential failure or based on interval period derived from experience
or vendor recommendations. From the FMEA, it is seen that most of the potential failures in
GPPs are linked to the chemical and physical properties of the geothermal fluids. The effects
of failures range from safety to performance loss. The nature of potential failures affect the
type of maintenance procedures adopted whether to prevent or respond to the failures. A
summary of preventive and corrective maintenance needs for each failure modes in a GPP are
shown.
Summary of preventive and Corrective maintenance needs of a
GEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT
Failure mode Preventive actions Corrective actions
Contact no.09204055245
CHAPTER III -ENGINEERING REPORT
Power shortage persisted in the Philippines since the second half of 1980’s and peaked by power
crisis in 1992-1993, during which power-cut that lasts 5 hours or longer occurred frequently.
Development of power supply source, recovery of output and improvement of obsolete power
generation facilities were needed for stable power supply. The project was requested by the country as
an emergency measure to counter the power crisis by rehabilitating power generation facilities.
Accordingly, needs of the project is deemed to have been quite high at appraisal phase.
Output
However, according to the study on power generation capacity of Tiwi Geothermal Reservoir and
the scope of the development (January 1990), electric energy possibly produced by heat reserve there
was estimated to be 250MW x 25 years. This can be concluded as an overestimate since the volume of
steam was short of even fully operating 4 units at a time of evaluation (2008) as detailed hereinafter,
after delayed start of the operation. Further, capacity factor was set at 70% then. Based on the above, it
is estimated difficult to achieve 85% availability factor of geothermal power generation facility plan set
in Japan then. Facility repair/improvement plan should have been made based on the volume of steam.
After all, the project plan was reviewed in 2001 due to substantial delay in the project start as
detailed hereinafter, and it has led to find out the decrease of steam flow. In response to this, power
generation facility for repair/improvement was reduced from 6 units to 4 units, which can be evaluated
for making operation of the power plant more sustainable by reflecting the actual situation.
As a conclusion, despite overestimation at the appraisal of the project planning, the scope was
adjusted to fit the reality for implementation; therefore, the project is highly relevant with “Mid-term
Philippine Development Plan”, “Philippines Energy Plan” and development needs at times of both
appraisal and evaluation.
Efficiency ( Rating)
Project implementation was delayed substantially (261%) and project cost was slightly larger than
planned (137% for one facility); therefore, the evaluation for efficiency is low.
Output :
Contents Process/Reason of
Planning/Changes
Output at the first contract Limit repair to the recovery of function With reduced steam flow, it was
(Related to the scope change and stable operation of 4 units (unit 1, decided that there is no sufficient
Agreed by former JBIC; 2, 5, and 6). After repair, units 1 and 2 source of power for 2 units,
May 2001) are strengthen to 60MW while units 5 therefore, only 4 units were
and 6 to 57MW. subject to repair. In addition the
Implementation Scope originally planned but excluded government of the Philippines
Period: due to duplication of scope with NPC shifted from “full repair” to
Jun.2003 – Feb.2004 project; repair replacement of honing “partial repair” based on their
machine, control board recorders, own review result, which
indicators, converters and controllers concluded partial rehabilitation
for turbine repair/replacement of air was sufficient to recover the
conditioning system, replacement of function. According to technical
turbine supervisory instrumentation, examination by yen loan division
purchase of equipment for calibration, of former JBIC (current JICA), the
partial replacement of disconnecting change is reasonable because
switches for switchyard, repair/check of recovery of function is possible if
main cooling water pipeline, rehabilitation planned by NPC is
procurement of cooling tower materials properly implement. Former JBIC
and environment monitoring requested the government not to
equipment. make further reduction to the
scope.
Output at additional Added the scope of repair for 4 units NPC, a contractor and a
Contract (Related to the second (unit 1, 2, 5, and 6), because it is consultant jointly carried out a
scope change considered necessary for stable study in Dec.2001 and May 2002,
Agreed by former JBIC; operation. There were 27 newly added and confirmed stable operation is
Feb.2004) repair/improvement items difficult, contrary to the
(facilities/parts) in total including expectation. Also, additional
Implementation period; replacement of cooling tower for unit 5 repairs turned out to be
Jun.2004 – Dec. 2005 and 6 and purchase of switch gear and necessary to satisfy conditions of
motor for gas extract equipment for unit steam supply contract. The
2 government of the Philippines
decided to exchange additional
contract, to which former JBIC
agreed because the addition was
originally included as part of the
scope and deemed necessary at
appraisal and therefore,
necessary to achieve the target of
the project.
After changes to the scope explained above, actual output was reduced by 2 units from the
original plan because repair of 2 units were excluded from the project. If technical analysis of the
situation had been thoroughly conducted at the first scope change, the second change was less likely
required.
Project period
The project term was originally set at 51 months after the exchange of yen loan agreement, but it
actually took 133 months until repair/improvement was completed and operation of 4 units got started
(December 2005), much longer than planned (11 years and 1 month: 261% of the plan). 92 months (7
years and 8 months) have passed after the exchange of loan agreement until receiving approval from
the government of Philippines (contract coming into effect), and 41 months (3 years and 5 months) from
the contract entry to the completion of the project. Reasons for the delay are as explained below.
Reasons for the delay before contract becoming effective, after yen loan agreement
Lawsuit over Steam Supply Service Agreement
Steam Supply Service Company filed a lawsuit at a court of arbitration against NPC that owns
Tiwi/Mak-ban Geothermal Power Plants 1 , complaining NPC rejected renewal of steam supply contract
(25 years of contract. Expiration in 1996). NPC also brought the case to a domestic court. Steam Supply
Service Company offered to drop charges on condition that Tiwi/Mak-ban Geothermal Power Plants was
transferred to them and repair cost was burdened by them in exchange. In this situation, the
government of Philippines decided to suspended implementation of the project because they needed
time to review many things including whether or not to implement the project, at all. Considering the
fact that negotiation of the project contract was completed in April 1999, the project could have been
completed 3 years or more earlier if the government had not decided the suspension.
As breakup and privatization of power sector was being promoted in the Philippines, the
government spent considerable time reviewing which was more efficient to sell/privatize Tiwi
Geothermal Power Plant via yen loan (repair/improvement by direct control of NPC) or privatization
(repair/improvement by private company after purchase of the power plant). (Procedure for the project
was interrupted 2 until September 2000 (69 months or 5 years and 9 months after the exchange of yen
loan agreement), due to the lawsuit and the review of privatization) Facing such circumstances, NPC and
former JBIC regularly discussed to advance procurement procedure.
While discussions over the aforementioned lawsuit and privatization delayed the project
implementation, deterioration of power plant progressed and additional repair/improvement became
necessary according to the degree of deterioration. It took additional time to review the scope change
and to receive approval for that. The government of Philippines approved the scope change and
exchanged the project contract in July 2002 (contract became effective).
Development from contract entering into force until the project completion
After the contract became effective, original scope of the project was once fixed in February 2004.
However, field study conducted by NPC, the consultant and the contractor concluded that an
additional repair was deemed necessary for stable operation of the power plant. Further, additional
repair/improvement became necessary to achieve a certain level of power generation capacity and
reliability under conditions of Geothermal Resource Sales ContractGRSC 3 . In response to this,
additional contract was concluded in June 2004 and the repair work was completed in December
2005.
In comparison, rated output of units 1, 2, 5 and 6 increased by 14MW from appraisal (1992)
to after the project completion (2006), but actual output was decreased by 40-50% on average
per unit. Main reasons for this are as follows:
Capacity factor is low and power generation capacity is maintained low. Main reason for this
is difficulty in securing sufficient steam volume to operate the 4 units. Steam volume is
decreasing by 8-10% a year.
Typhoon struck an area close to the power plant in November 2006, causing temporary
shortage of output by the damage (however, based on utilization status of repaired facilities
during out-of-typhoon season (before November 2006), output after the project completion
is smaller than that during project planning, due to the lack of steam volume).
Trend of generation
Source : NPC
Note: Red star and yellow star show the timing of appraisal and completion of the project,
respectively. Repaired/improved units are 1, 2, 5 and 6. Uptick in output in 2004 was due
to temporary operation of units after the first improvement and before the start of
additional contract (operation was suspended due to repair work in 2005).
On the other hand, deterioration of facilities became obvious since the second half of
1990’s, on top of accident caused suspension and dwindling steam flow. Plant load (capacity)
factor and availability factor of facilities got as low as 20% for each, as shown in Figure-2 and 3.
If the project had not been implemented, the rate could have reached almost zero in 2004 and
thereafter. In consideration of this, the project has produced effects of increasing output in 2004
and in 2006 and thereafter, despite reduced steam volume.
Increased from 9.2% at planning (appraisal) to 16.8% at evaluation. EIRR (Economic Internal
Rate of Return) is difficult to be calculated and analyzed by comparison for evaluation, due to
restriction on calculation measures applied for appraisal.
Increase in FIRR was mainly due to (i) increase of fuel cost and maintenance cost by 60%,
increase of wholesale power cost to 2 times or more in contrast, and no increase in initial
investment because the project scope was narrowed from 6 to 4 units, (ii) substantial delay in the
project implementation worsened deterioration of facilities, which extremely widened the
difference in outputs between With (with the project) and Without (without the project), for actual
value than planned one (at planning, FIRR was based on assumption that capacity factor remains at
63% for Without, but in fact it plummeted to 20% by 2001. FIRR turns negative if the capacity factor
remained at 63% for Without), (iii) regardless of substantial delay in starting procurement of
materials/equipment and repair work, there was no cost incurred in the meantime, and (iv) repair
work was completed as planned and succeeded in temporarily starting operation in 1.5 years of the
first contract.
Assumptions of IRR
At planning At evaluation
FIRR cost Investment cost, fuel cost and operation Same as on the left.
maintenance cost (for rehabilitated (Apply unit cost as of Nov. 2008 for
portion) fuel and maintenance costs in 2008
and thereafter)
FIRR benefit Income from electricity sales (increase Same as on the left.
after repair/ improvement) Applied actual output after project
Output was calculated based on implementation until 2007.
capacity factor of 63% for actual, 70% Applied actual figures for 2008,
for post rehabilitation and 63% for capacity factor of units 1 and 2 was
Without. put at 63% (operate 6 months each
Assumed 2 units will be closed in 2011 in turn) and units 5 and 6 at 75%
and another 2 in 2012. (full operation), and assumed
reduction of output by 8% every
year due to dwindling steam volume
for 2009 and thereafter.
For Without, applied actual until
2002 and assumed output got lower
than the actual output of the
preceding year by 8% since 2003.
Assumed units 1 and 2 will be closed
by 2015 for both With and Without.
Project life 19 years (15 years after rehabilitation) 15 years after rehabilitation
Impact
Contribution to the stabilization of Luzon Grid, diversification of energy sources and use of
domestic energy
Compared to the planning stage, output of Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant has decreased as a
whole as shown in Table-3 above. Positive impact of the output increase to Luzon Grid as a whole
could not be confirmed. Generation share of the power plant to the whole Luzon Grid was 2.8%
in 2006 and 2.0% in 2007, which is lower than 10.6% in 1992 when the project was planned.
However, if the project had not been implemented, Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant is considered
to have almost lost the power generating capacity. The project aimed at promoting an effective
use of geothermal energy, which is highly valued as a renewable domestic energy. Since rated
output of Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant makes up 30% of the total geothermal power generation
at the Luzon Grid (based on rated output), the percentage of geothermal energy to the whole
energy produced at the Luzon Grid could have been dramatically reduced without the project.
Economic impact
Geothermal power is an indigenous energy and had positive economic impact to lower fuel cost.
Generation of 1kWh of electricity costs 6 times more in case of oil-fired power generation and 1.7
times more for gas-fired power generation in comparison to the cost of steam needed for
geothermal power generation. The project was effective in cutting back fuel cost equivalent to
324 mil pesos (in case of gas-fired power generation) - 2.256 billion pesos (in case of oil-fired
power generation).
activities.
Environment around the power plant
At the project, equipment to dilute hydrogen sulfide gas was installed to mitigate the impact
of the gas emission, as a measure to improve environmental condition. According to the monitoring
results, the project satisfies the standard of the country, and so far, no specific problem has been
pointed out in compiled reports. Temporary dwellings are sparsely located in areas around the
power plant as shown in Picture above. No serious problem was reported after visiting and hearing
from some residents.
The project does not involve land acquisition or resettlement because it is a rehabilitation project
of existing facilities. According to the provision on tax payment to the local government, 0.01 pesos are
taxed per the sale of 1kWh electricity. The project contributed to increase earnings from electricity sales
and tax revenue for the local government, resulting in improvement to the standard of living and
introduction of social welfare programs for residents in the area.
Sustainability
Due to observed concern over the shortage in steam volume and the impact to the sustainability
of the project, sustainability of this project is fair.
Implementing organization
Environment surrounding power sector in the Philippines had dramatically changed from the
time of the project appraisal to today. The impact is making changes to the operation and
maintenance of the power plant. More specifically, Electric Power Industry Reform ActEPIRA was
enacted and entered into force in June 2001, and because of this, decision was made to split NPC,
an implementing organization of the project, into a power generation company and a power
transmission company, and privatize each (power generation asset is to be sold).
In response to the reorganization of power sector, bidding of both Tiwi and Mak-ban power
plants took place at the end of July 2008, to sell their asset and privatize the two power plants
together. AP Renewables (a company newly established to operate Tiwi/Mak-ban power plants),
wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation APCsuccessfully won the bidding.
As of December 2008, operation and maintenance of the power plants were continuously
undertaken by Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant Office under NPC, as pre-sellout transitional
arrangement. Currently, 167 employees of NPC (2 supervisors, 65 operators, 63 maintenance
staffs, 19 administration and finance division staffs and 18 engineers) are working at Tiwi
Geothermal Power Plant (see Figure-5). Handover of the power plant to AP Renewables is planned
to take place around May 2009, and operation, maintenance, control and management of the
power plants will also be completely transferred from NPC to AP Renewables by then.
The power plant has accumulated experiences through 30 years of operation, and operation
and maintenance are done based on their own knowhow and technology, without technical
assistance from external parties.
According to the operation and maintenance plan of AP Renewables submitted in times of
the bidding, the company basically maintains the current employees of Tiwi Geothermal Power
Plant for the time being. Also abundant experiences of its parent company Aboitiz Power
Corporation are expected to be reflected to the operation and maintenance of the power plant,
accumulated by undertaking numerous projects of hydraulic power generation and power
transmission projects in the country.
As stated above, there is no structural or technical problem with the current NPC structure.
AP Renewables also has abundant power generation project experiences and since they intend to
maintain the current employees of NPC, there is no specific concern in terms of
technology/structure as of December 2008, in transitional phase.