By Myrna M. Velasco

The off-grid operations of the Consunji group via subsidiary DMCI Power Corporation had been on its demand ramp up mode, having logged 25 percent energy sales growth within January to September stretch this year.

The company, in a statement to the media, has noted that its sales volume within the nine-month period climbed to 226 gigawatt-hours from last year’s 181 GWh.

Amid upturn on its energy sales though, DMCI emphasized that consolidated net income was still very modest with just 4.0-percent increase to P337 million versus P325 million in the same period in 2017.

The company qualified “this was primarily due to reduced provisional tariff rate for its Aborlan bunker-fired power plant,” which is sited in Palawan.

On the whole though, the Consunji-led firm indicated that “higher power demand and dispatch across all operating segments accounted for the 25 percent improvement.”

DMCI Power President Nestor D. Dadivas said “the continued economic growth and booming tourism industry across all operating segments coupled with our reliable operations and effective partnership with the off-takers (capacity buyers) accounted for the dramatic increase in our power sales.”

Its service to off-grid areas via DMCI Power is separate from the grid-linked power plants that the Consunji group has been dispatching from its sites in Batangas.

At island-grids, DMCI Power reckoned that its energy sales to Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) had registered exponential growth of 39 percent – or a rise to 96.35 GWh from the year-ago level of 69.32 GWh.

In the service domain of Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO), power sales had been similarly brisk with 24-percent jump to 47.61 GWh from last year’s 38.38 GWh.

On the other hand, sales to the Masbate Electric Cooperative (MASELCO) was also on its growth pathway, having expanded 11.0-percent to 81.99 GWh from 73.73 GWh.

For the Aborlan plant, Dadivas noted that they are batting for a re-computation of the facility’s pass-on tariff via the pending motion for reconsideration that the company has lodged with the Energy Regulatory Commission.