Smith Bell to build P180-million mini power plant

MANILA, Philippines - Smith Bell Mini-Hydro Corp. (SBMHC), a 70-percent Filipino-owned corporation, will build a P180-million mini power plant in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.

The company will install two units of hydro-generator equipment, each with a capacity of 900 kilowatts. The generated electricity will then be sold to the Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative Inc. (NUVELCO) starting at P4.50/kwh on the first year upon the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Formal operations is expected in December.

In a statement, Trade Undersecretary Elmer C. Hernandez said that the plant will help the province become energy self-sufficient. “This project will give much needed relief to the province of Nueva Vizcaya and serve as a cushion against energy demands in the future. National energy self-sufficiency is increased with the utilization of inexpensive, renewable and indigenous resources, ” Hernandez said.

Smith Bell registered its first project with the Board of Investments (BOI) under R.A. 9513 otherwise known as the Renewable Energy (RE) Act.

Trade Secretary Jesli A. Lapus said that renewable energy is one of the country’s green programs that aim to reduce carbon emission in the atmosphere and that this power project will improve the livelihood of farmers and further enhance the agri development of Nueva Vizcaya, an ideal site for agricultural development.

“The project is in line with the national policy of encouraging private sector participation in power generation to provide additional capacity as unveiled in the Power Development Plan of the energy sector,” said Trade Secretary and Board of Investments Chairman Jesli A. Lapus. “Eventually, with the realization of more RE projects, it will decrease our dependence on imported fossil fuel,” he added.