Manila, Sept. 23 -- First Gen Corporation is undertaking a modernization project that will increase the installed capacity of its Palinpinon-1 geothermal power plant in Valencia, Negros Oriental, from 112.5 megawatts (MW) to 126 MW.

The project, being implemented by First Gen's geothermal arm, Energy Development Corporation (EDC), involves replacing the plant's three 37.5-MW turbine-generator units with three modern 42-MW units, EDC said in a statement Wednesday.

The upgrade is expected to add 13.5 MW to First Gen's renewable energy portfolio while allowing the facility to generate more electricity using the same volume of geothermal steam, without additional steam extraction.

Noel Tan, head of the Southern Negros Geothermal Project (S...