Hedcor Bukidnon Inc. (Hedcor) is seeking regulatory approval to construct and operate a P612.41-million transmission facility that will connect its hydropower plants to the transmission assets of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
The project will be funded internally by Hedcor, through its mother company Aboitiz Renewables Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp.
Hedcor is constructing a 68.8-megawatt (MW) Manolo Fortich (MF) hydroelectric power plant in Bukidnon. It will be composed of two units: MF1, with a capacity of 43.4 MW, and MF2, 25.4 MW.
In its 12-page application filed before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Hedcor needs to construct a dedicated point-to-point limited line facility to connect the hydropower plant. The connection facility is necessary to test, commission and dispatch the capacity of the MF facility and will also be exclusively used by it.
“To enable the project plant to avoid unnecessary delays, which may lead to opportunity costs and for the project plant to contribute to the rising demand growth, it needs to immediately test, commission and dispatch the project plant after its completion.
To accomplish this, there is a need for Hedcor to connect to the Mindanao grid through Hedcor connection assets, and for these Hedcor connection assets to be constructed at the soonest time possible,” it said.
The provider of renewable energy is hoping that the commission will immediately issue a provisional authority for it to develop, own and operate the Hedcor connection assets that will consist of a new switchyard, transmission lines and certain protection system. The ERC has set a hearing on September 29.