MANILA, Philippines - At least 4 firms have declared their interest in bidding for the right to manage the state’s contracted capacity for the privately owned 1,200-megawatt Ilijan Combined Cycle Power Plant in Batangas.

Listed holding firm Pacifica, Inc. told the stock exchange yesterday that, "The company’s participation in this bid is an affirmation of its continuing intent to expand its business opportunities into power related activities."

Pacifica submitted a letter of interest (LoI) to Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), the state agency tasked with privatizing the state’s power assets, for Ilijan’s Independent Power Producer Administrator (IPPA) contract.

Aboitiz Power Corp., meanwhile, confirmed a text message that it had also submitted a LoI for the Ilijan bidding.

Officials of plant operator Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), and First Gen Corp. previously told reporters that they intended to join the bidding.

Conrad S. Tolentino, acting vice-president of PSALM’s asset management and electricity trading, said at least five bidders would be joining the Ilijan bid, but declined to state a final number.

Payment of a $10,000 non-refundable participation fee, which will entitle a party to receive the bidding package, as well as the signing of a confidentiality agreement have been set for this Friday, Feb. 5. Issuance of the bidding package started last Jan. 18 and will end on Feb. 8.

PSALM has set a Feb. 11 pre-bid conference, with the actual bidding scheduled to take place in April.

Located in Ilijan in the southern Luzon province of Batangas, the IPP plant is being operated by KEPCO through KEPCO Ilijan Corp.

Privatizing at least 70% of National Power Corp.’s IPPA contracts is one of the preconditions for open access and retail competition under Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001. PSALM has achieved 44% of this target after the sale of hydro IPPAs last December.

IPPA contract owners will have the authority to administer the trading of power produced by their plants in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

They will also be responsible for procuring coal and other fuel requirements, and will assume ownership of the facility after the completion of build-operate-transfer contracts.

PSALM has already breached another EPIRA threshold, that of selling 70% of the state’s generating assets, after the successful sale of the 600-MW Calaca coal-fired plant to DMCI Holdings, Inc. in the middle of last year.