First hydropower plant in Panay to start Aug

MANILA, Philippines - The first hydropower plant in Panay Island is set to start operations in August, its proponent said yesterday.

Sunwest Water and Electric Co., Inc. (Suweco) said its eight-megawatt Villasiga-1 hydropower plant in Igsoro, Bugasong, Antique is targeted to be completed by June and is expected to start operating in August.

“Once operational, it will be the first hydropower plant in Panay Island. The commissioning of the hydropower plant will follow two months later when it can export power to the Panay grid,” Suweco project manager Christian Biglain said.

The company started construction of the plant in 2010.

The Villasiga-1 hydropower plant has received the endorsement of the Regional Development Council (RDC) VI as early as 2006. It is considered one of the priority renewable energy projects of the region. 

With the additional power, the plant is expected to help stabilize power voltage in Antique and reduce the region’s dependency on imported fuel.

This, in turn, is expected to translate to lower fuel costs. 

Villasiga-1 is a run-of-river hydropower project, which diverts water from Paliuan River.

Biglain said that as of end February 2013, the project is already around 80 percent complete.

“All equipment for the operation of the plant, except for the three turbines, have already been procured and delivered to the site. Barring unfavorable weather conditions, the plant will be operational by August 2013,” Biglain said.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s power transmission highway operator, is expected to put up the Culasi-San Jose 69 kV-transmission line in the area for the hydropower plant’s transmission needs.

Aside from the Villasiga-1 hydropower plant, Suweco has already started the detailed engineering work for its 9.6-MW Villasiga-2 hydropower project, also in Bugasong.

Suweco has also identified several sites for future hydropower projects in Antique including Laua-an, Dalanas, Tibiao and San Agustin, Valderrama.