AboitizPower set to start hydro power project

MANILA, Philippines - AboitizPower, the holding company of the Aboitiz Group’s investments in the power sector, is set to begin this year the construction of its   hydroelectric power project in the Mountain Province.     

AboitizPower subsidiary Hedcor is just waiting for the completion of   permitting requirements as well as the certificate of commerciality   from the Department of Energy.     

The Sabangan hydroelectric power project, which will have a capacity   of 14 MW, will be located in Barangays Namatec and Napua and will source power from the Chico River.     

It would add to Hedcor’s 19 run-of-river plants across the   Philippines, with a total generating capacity of 155MW.     

Under the plan, the Tinmakudo ancestral domain and the hosting   barangays will  have a share in the power plant’s generation output.     

“This is on top of other financial benefits that the community will   receive under the government mandated Energy Regulation 1-94 (ER 1-94) which they can use to fund electrification, development and livelihood, and reforestation, watershed management, health and environmental enhancement projects,” Hedcor said.    

 Local landowners will also benefit from rentals for the project’s use of portions of their properties.     

Ronquillo said the construction of the new plant could take about 22  months, with hundreds of jobs to be offered to residents of the host   communities.   Hedcor said that as host to its newest plant, the Mountain Province   and its municipality, Sabangan could receive up to P15 million in   government and real property taxes.     

Qualified residents will also be trained to operate and maintain the power plant, said Hedcor president and chief operating officer Rene Ronquillo.  Furthermore, the project will entail the development of around 10   kilometers of access roads that could serve as farm-to-market roads.     

Ronquillo said AboitizPower is looking to pursue more projects as it aims to add 100 megawatts of renewable energy from run-of-river power plants by 2016.