Plant Optimization

Mitsubishi Power supplying steam turbine parts and upgrade at Makban geothermal plant

Mitsubishi Power supplying steam turbine parts and upgrade at Makban geothermal plant
(Photo courtesy Mitsubishi Power.)

Mitsubishi Power will supply a new set of steam turbine components for a geothermal plant in the Philippines.

The subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group received the order for an upgrade to Unit 1 at the Makban Geothermal Power Plant (pictured) in Laguna. The project is scheduled for completion sometime next year.

The Makban Geothermal Power Plant is located southeast of the capital city of Manila and is owned and operated by developer AP Renewables Inc. (APRI). Mitsubishi Power delivered the first geothermal power generating unit in 1979 with nine other units progressively installed over the next two decades until 1996.

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For this renovation project, Mitsubishi Power’s Nagasaki Works will supply the newly designed steam turbine components, while Mitsubishi Power’s local subsidiary MHI Power (Philippines) Plant Services Corporation, the contracting arm of Mitsubishi Power (Philippines) Inc. for its after-sales service business, will provide on-site installation services.

In geothermal power generation, hot water produced by magma deep below the earth’s surface is extracted as steam, which is used to drive a turbine. Of the various forms of renewable energy that emit negligible carbon dioxide during power generation, geothermal power can be produced stably, 24 hours a day, and is virtually unaffected by weather or other factors.

For this reason, geothermal power is expected to see expanded application in countries and regions abundant in geothermal resources. However, facilities and equipment may need to be improved or repaired to adapt to changes in the natural environment over the medium to long term, as is being done in this project.

Mitsubishi Power has fulfilled orders for more than 100 geothermal power projects in 13 countries. Plant capacity totals more than 3,200 MW.