Lopez-led First Gen Corporation (FGen) is set to modernize several of its aging geothermal power plants in the Visayas region to boost baseload power generation with newer technology.

Francis Giles Puno, First Gen president said they plan to rebuild the over 700-megawatt Tongonan geothermal power plant in Leyte.

He noted that the facility, built four decades ago, requires modernization due to significant advancements in steam technology.

“Forty years later, we’re saying, the plant that was there is not the right technology anymore. It’s fully depreciated,” Puno told reporters. “So we are now in an opportunity to say, let’s rebuild the facility, the right facility, so that in the next 40 years, we’ll be able to generate more renewable baseload coming from geothermal.”

He added, “That’s something that we are planning as we speak. So we’ll be able to provide you with more information on how geothermal can be sustained in a country that doesn't have a lot of natural fossil fuel reserves anyway.”

Puno also noted the importance of collaboration with energy agencies like the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to support the expansion of geothermal capacity.

He acknowledged the challenges inherent in geothermal exploration, noting that the “upside is not as high as regular oil and gas, because you’re only as good as how competitive your electricity price is.”

Beyond the Tongonan facility, FGen is also planning upgrades for its plants in Negros Oriental and Dumaguete.

“We’re now in the process of upgrading the existing plant because, again, technology has advanced to the point where for the same level of steam pressure, we’re now being able to produce more output from the power plant,” Puno explained.

Potential generation growth is also expected from its BacMan geothermal power plant in Sorsogon.

Puno stated, “Our focus right now actually is more on the next phase of geothermal development, and that includes the concessions we have here.”

All these geothermal assets are managed and operated by FGen’s subsidiary, Energy Development Corp. (EDC).

In addition to its domestic geothermal focus, the FGen chief disclosed ongoing drilling developments in Amakan, Mindanao, and a recent geothermal exploration partnership with Indonesia.

“We need to prove the sustainability of that resource and hopefully also we can take advantage of our concessions in Indonesia,” Puno said.