Aboitiz Power delays start of Bakun hydro plant

MANILA, Philippines - Aboitiz Power Corp. (AP) has delayed anew the start of commercial operations of a hydropower project in Northern Luzon amid prolonged repair works.

In a disclosure, AP said its subsidiary, Luzon Hydro Corp. (LHC), received a notice from the National Power Corp. (Napocor), warning that the completion of the tunnel lining repair was delayed.

LHC said it expects repair works at the 70-megawatt (MW) Bakun hydroelectric power plant to be completed in October. AP earlier targeted to resume operations of the power plant in June.

“LHC is currently endeavoring to address and discuss the issue with Napocor in order to mitigate the effects of Bakun plant’s prolonged downtime,” AP said.

LHC is the operator and manager of the Bakun hydropower plant in Ilocos Sur, which started commercial operations in 2001.

Meanwhile, AP said it has received the regulatory approval to operate a portion of a hydropower plant in Benguet province.

AP said its affiliate SN Aboitiz Power– Benguet Inc. (SNAP-Benguet) received the certificate of compliance (COC) from the Energy Regulatory Commission.

This will allow SNAP-Benguet to operate the Unit 1 turbine of the Binga hydropower plant for five years.

Early this year, the power producer started refurbishing and upgrading Unit 1, which now has a generating capacity of 31.45 MW from the previous 25 MW. It was officially declared available for commercial operations late in July.

In March, power plant owner and operator SNAP-Benguet received a COC for the Unit 4 turbine, which was also upgraded to 31.45 MW.

The completion of Unit 3’s repair is expected in the first quarter next year and Unit 2 in the third quarter next year.

The repair and upgrade of the Binga power plant began in 2010. It required the construction of a new intake at higher elevation, new headrace, replacement and modernization of plant control system and replacement of electro-mechanical components.

SNAP-Benguet bagged the Binga power plant in 2007. The company is a joint venture of SN Power of Norway and AP.