The first coal-fired supercritical power plant in the Philippines has been successfully connected to the grid and will start commercial operation within this year, its builder Daelim Industrial of Korea said on Thursday.

Daelim Industrial was awarded the $680 million project in 2015 as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. The company is also responsible for civil works, construction and installation of associated infrastructure for the 500MW San Buenaventura power plant located in Mauban about 93 km southeast of Manila.

Daelim Industrial has conducted commissioning over the entire system after an initial boiler ignition last January.

With supercritical power generation technology, pressure and temperature in a boiler are kept high above the critical point as steam passes from the boiler to a steam turbine, leading to more efficient power generation while emitting less greenhouse gas, the company explained.

The San Buenaventura power plant can save about 40,000 tons of coal fuel per year compared to conventional coal-based power plants.

Daelim Industrial has earned recognition as a reliable contractor in the construction of power plants with successful projects in Southeast Asian countries.

By Choi Jae-won and Minu Kim

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