Napocor resumes operation of Agus 6 hydropower plant

MANILA, Philippines - The National Power Corp. (Napocor) has resumed the operations of Agus 6 hydroelectric power plant in Iligan after plugging a leakage in the dam’s blow-off pipe.

In an advisory, Napocor said Agus 6 has resumed normal operations on Tuesday following underwater repair works.

Napocor said with the 35-ton crane, dam maintenance workers hauled the silt and clay deposit at the entrance of Units 3 and 4 where the blow-off pipe is located.

Local divers with the assistance of an in-house experienced diver were able to identify the location of the blow-off piping system and seal it by filling with two to four inches of rock combined with stuffing materials, Napocor said.

Operated and maintained by Napocor, the Agus 6 hydroelectric power plant, which generates 80 megawatts during the repair period, would now be able to generate 116 MW for the Mindanao grid, Napocor said.

The state-owned power firm said that the leakage was detected through the joint efforts of Napocor’s Dams, Reservoirs and Waterways Management Division and Mindanao Generation’s power plant maintenance personnel.

In his report to Napocor president Ma. Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita, Napocor vice-president for Mindanao Generation Rudy Brioso said with the plugging of the leakage, the plant management has been able to identify long-term and permanent solution to prevent the same problem from recurring in the future. 

Agus 6’s 50-MW Unit 3 though is under its scheduled maintenance shutdown but plant personnel are currently working on putting it back online soonest, Napocor said in its advisory.

The 200-MW Agus 6 power plant is a run-of-river hydro plant located downstream of the famed Maria Cristina falls in Fuentes, Iligan City, which was a major source of power in the island. The plant consists of Units 1 and 2 with rated capacities of 25 MW each, and Units 3, 4 and 5 at 50 MW each.