Ayala Corp., through its unit AC Energy Holdings Corp., and A.Brown Company Inc., through its unit Palm Thermal Consolidated Holdings Corp., together with Jin Navitas Resource, Inc. are all set to start construction of a coal power plant in Iloilo province.

The first clean coal power plant of triumvirate AC Energy, Palm Thermal, and Jin Navitas was formally launched on Tuesday in groundbreaking rites at the 30-hectare project site in Barangay Nipa, Concepcion, Iloilo.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. of Iloilo, House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada and Mayor Milliard Villanueva of Concepcion led the groundbreaking ceremony.

They were joined by Walter Brown, chairman of Palm Concepcion Power Corporation, directors Eric Francia and Jack Ng, and other key political and business personalities.

“The power plant will use the circulating fluidized bed combustion technology, which is one of the
most advanced and most fuel-efficient plant in the Visayas. It will use the latest Alstom Technology [Europe] for its steam turbine and generator,” PCPC President and Chief Executive Officer Roel Castro said.

He said that the power plant’s capacity is good for 135 megawatts each for the two units, and the target commercial dispatch for the first unit is set for the last quarter of 2015.

Castro also said that SNC-Lavalin, a leading Canadian-American company, was appointed as the project owner’s engineer and project manager.