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HOPING
to further harness the water resources to generate power
in the country, Aboitiz-owned Hydroelectric Development
Corp. (Hedcor) is currently looking at several potential
areas for development in southern Mindanao and in
Benguet.
“Most of
our facilities are still in Benguet but we’re actually
looking at some potential sites there, as well as in
other parts of Mindanao,” said Rene Ronquillo, Hedcor
president and chief operating officer.
“The
nice thing about Mindanao, especially where we are, is
that it rains there for almost the entire year and they
don’t come across typhoons that are destructive,” said
Ronquillo.
In
Benguet the Hedcor executive said they can develop a
run-of-a-river hydroelectric facility with a small
storage facility, just enough to cover requirements
during peak hours.
The
company is waiting for the results of a study conducted
on the potential hydroelectric capacity in the country.
But the Hedcor official pointed out that they have yet
to find any attractive site in the Visayas.
“Right
now, we’re just focused on getting the Sibulan and
Tamugan facilities off the ground,” Ronquillo said.
Hedcor
earlier signed a P3.57-billion loan agreement with
Metrobank, Philippine National Bank and Rizal Commercial
Banking Corp. to partly finance the construction of the
42-megawatt Sibulan hydroelectric power plant in Davao.
The
Sibulan project, whichh will tap hydropower from the
Sibulan River, will include the construction of the two
power plants, access roads and transmission lines and is
designed to operate for 25 years.
The
Tamugan facility includes the construction of three
power plants, weirs and impounding basins and a
diversion tunnel that will divert some of the water from
Talomo to Tamugan River. |
