THERMA South Inc. (TSI), a subsidiary of AboitizPower, have already suspended the delivery of power to the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) after the electric cooperative was not able to pay its unpaid obligations.
Mario Angelo Sotto, co-chairperson of Task Force Duterte-Northern Davao Power, the team that is now operating Daneco, told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that they have incurred over P2 billion of debt from its power suppliers.
Of the P2 billion debt, the Daneco owes TSI around P256 million as of September 2018. This also includes penalties dating back to 2016, as well as interests.
Sotto said TSI sent them a letter of disconnection on August 2018 giving Daneco a week to settle its obligations.
Last September 1, the power generator suspended its delivery of power to Daneco. The electric cooperative is getting 15 megawatts (MW) from the 300 MW Baseload Power Plant located at the borders of Davao City and Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
"The company has stated that it will only resume delivery of power once all outstanding obligations including the required security deposit are paid and covered," TSI said in a statement.
"As much as we want to help provide power to the member consumers of Daneco, we also have to make sure that our capability to serve our other customers in Mindanao is not affected," AboitizPower AVP Benedick Salvador said in a statement.
Despite losing 15 MW, Sotto assured that there will be no rotational brownouts in the areas they are serving. He said other suppliers were able to fill in the needed power supply that was lost.
He said they have a peak demand of around 90 MW to 120 MW and there supply is still enough to meet the demand. (RJL)