PAVI’s SIPCOR and CAMPCOR assures stable power supply to Visayan islands amidst hike in demand
Residents of Siquijor and Camotes Islands have long awaited for a reputable and reliable power provider after suffering from unreliable power connections in the past. Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI), through their constituent power companies S.I. Power Corporation (SIPCOR) and Camotes Island Power Generation Corporation (CAMPCOR), is set to produce a total of 21.27 MW of power, serving almost 60,000 households in the said municipalities.
Engr. Jose Rommel Orillaza, PAVI’s President for Power Group highlighted the company’s efforts to provide energy to these off-grid communities.
“We’re detecting an increase in demand due to the holiday season. PAVI through SIPCOR and CAMPCOR has built the necessary infrastructure to serve these previously underserved, and unelectrified Filipino households. We aligned our business goals with the government’s direction, in order to help prioritize rural electrification, as we believe this will also contribute to overall economic recovery,” said Orillaza.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has previously stated that rural electrification is a top government priority as it yields more opportunities for Filipinos and results in improved quality of life, greater access to basic services, and better infrastructure for rural development. In 2021, the DOE reported that there were over 1.6 million households without connection and access to electricity, 500,000 of these families reside in the Visayan area.
“In this day and age, it’s hard to believe that there are still Filipino communities in off-grid areas with no stable source of electricity. Our presence in these underserved areas is helping the government and the DOE in reaching 100% electrification in all households, thus improving the well-being and quality of lives of thousands of households and not to mention providing support to hundreds of MSMEs through the provision of power,” added Orillaza.
SIPCOR currently has a 20-year power supply agreement (PSA) with the local power cooperative, Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is providing 12.86MW of power through bunker-fired power generation facilities and power stations.
On the other hand, CAMPCOR has a 15-year power supply agreement with the power distribution utility of the island, Camotes Electric Cooperative, Inc. Located in municipalities of Poro and Pilar in Camotes Island in Cebu, CAMPCOR is supplying residents a total of 8.41MW of power through their diesel plants and generating units. The company will also be providing ancillary services to power distribution system that includes load-following, reactive power support, and voltage regulators.
SIPCOR and CAMPCOR are under the power group of PAVI. Other subsidiaries of the firm include those in the sectors of renewable energy, water, information and communication technologies, realty and entertainment, and broadcast media.