$.2-million grant to fund Oriental Mindoro hydropower study

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – The European Economic Council (EEC) is releasing a grant of $200,000 (about P8.6 million) to fund a study of the hydroelectric potentials of Oriental Mindoro.

Andy de Rossi, president of Construction Management and Consultancy (CMC)-Asia Inc., said the EEC has approved the grant for his company to explore the feasibility of putting up hydropower plants in Oriental Mindoro, in support of the “full energization” program of first district Rep. Rodolfo Valencia for the whole province.

De Rossi was here last Sunday as part of a group of Italian investors forging investment and development ties with the province prior to the construction of wind power facilities in two municipalities.

De Rossi relayed the approval of the EEC grant to Valencia and Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr. who welcomed the group, which included Jean Luigi Montossi, managing director of Italian firm Brulli Energia that will begin constructing wind power facilities in Puerto Galera and Bulalacao towns in the coming weeks.

Valencia has filed a House resolution urging the National Electrification Administration and other agencies to give priority to the full energization of the first district of Oriental Mindoro, comprising this capital city and the towns of Puerto Galera, Baco, San Teodoro, Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, and Pola.

The $200,000 grant will be handled and managed by a private sector-government team, composed of representatives of CMC-Asia, Brulli Energia, Valencia’s congressional district office and the provincial government.

De Rossi said CMC-Asia, a multinational engineering and construction company, is committed to finish structural works for the wind power project of Brulli Energia.  

The wind power project, which Valencia and Umali had planned when the latter was still a congressman of the province’s second district, will start as soon as all the required documents and permits are completed.

Montossi said the first phase of the wind power project is targeted to produce 16 to 46 megawatts, and the second phase, an additional 15 MW.

When fully operational, the wind power project, which the Italian investors said will be the “most modern and most efficient” in the Philippines, will generate up to 200 MW.