Up to 40-MW expansion planned for Maibarara geothermal project, Philippines

In a filing with the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources, developer Maibarara Geothermal Inc. (MGI) has indicated plans of expanding their existing geothermal power facility by an additional 25 to 40 MW of capacity. The expansion work will cost an estimated PhP 8.9 billion (approx. USD 155 million).

According to the filing, construction  of the power new plant is targeted to start by the fourth quarter of 2027. Commissioning is then planned for between 2029 to 2031, with target of commercial operations by 2031. Aside from the construction of a new power plant, the proposed expansion also includes the drilling new production and reinjection wells, as well as the development of discharge facilities. Likely related to this development are reports that MGI is preparing for an exploration drilling program in an undrilled sector of its geothermal field, planned to start by 2026.

MGI operates the 20-MW Maibarara 1 and the 12-MW Maibarara 2 geothermal power plants located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Plans for an expansion of the current installed capacity had already been announced back in 2022, but the filing with the government agency indicates some progress. Earlier this year, MGI announced that it has acquired key land assets where their steam fields and access roads are located, thus providing better security for operational and expansion plans.

MGI is a joint venture of PetroGreen Energy Corp. (65%), ACEN Corp. (25%), and PNOC Renewable Corp. (10%).

“Viewed on a broader scale, the project will contribute additional generation capacity to the Luzon grid, addressing the country’s persistent power shortages and supplying power to new infrastructure to be built by the government or the private sector in the future, leading to additional jobs,” the company stated on the filing.

Source: BusinessWorld and Power Philippines