By Myrna M. Velasco Consunji-owned firm SEM Calaca Power Corporation (SCPC) has engaged a consortium of foreign firms as technical consultant for its 600-megawatt coal fired power plant in Batangas. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the company noted that it sealed14-month contract with Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) and Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. of Kansai, Japan for the consultancy work. “Toshiba ESS and Kansai will look into and provide technical services to the two power plants of SCPC,” the company has noted. The Consunji firm has not given details on the full work coverage of the consultancy engagement. Further, the Japanse consultants are required to “propose technical solutions to improve the availability, operations and maintenance of the said facilities.” It has to be noted that the Calaca coal plant has been among those recurrently experiencing mechanical glitches that have been affecting its operations and supply of electricity to consumers. As noted by Semirara Mining and Power Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer Maria Cristina C. Gotianun, they are banking on the help of the newly-tapped consultants to improve the operating efficiency of the Calaca generating units. “Drawing on years of expertise in developing and manufacturing power generation equipment, our new partners can provide services that shall improve the value of our power plants,” Gotianun said. The Calaca plant is considered a vertically integrated asset of the Consunji group because it draws its fuel supply from the Semirara mine, which is also owned by the conglomerate. Nevertheless, given the extent of its operations that already traversed several decades, the generating facility had also grown vulnerable to technical breakdowns, hence, it might need technical propping up so its life cycle can be extended. In fact, the Calaca plant was among those thrown into the spotlight in the simultaneous forced outages of power plants that had been pushing the Luzon grid to breaking point during the summer months.