Davao hydropower project to ease Mindanao power shortage

DAVAO CITY , Philippines  —The establishment of a new hydropower plant project utilizing Tamugan River is expected to help ease the shortfall in power supply.

The hydropower plant project will be undertaken by the Aboitiz-owned Hedcor Inc. after it forged a compromise agreement over the weekend with the Davao City Water District (DCWD) that would allow the power firm to establish the said power generation facility in Tamugan River.

The agreement is for Hedcor to generate only 15 megawatts instead of the 27.5 MW as originally proposed, in a compromise to the condition of the DCWD to tap 400 meters below the surface water development project site of the water firm that also uses the same river, the Tamugan River.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte witnessed the recent signing of the agreement between Hedcor president and chief operating officer Rene Ronquillo and DCWD chairman Eduardo Bangyan, which signaled the start of the long-stalled project expected to provide stable power and water supply in the city.

Hedcor will reportedly have to review and redesign the entire infrastructure for the project as the original plan was for two hydroelectric plants that would generate a total of 27.5 MW.

The Hedcor project comes after former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said there is no clear solution yet to the looming power crisis in Mindanao.

“Right now an assessment is still being done as to the extent of the need for generators and what would be done best for Mindanao,” Reyes told The STAR.

Reyes said meetings continue to be held among the various stakeholders in Mindanao, including the business sector, in an effort to find solution to the worsening power generation deficiency that has caused the implementation of load curtailment and subsequent up to 12-hour blackouts in most parts of the island.

Mindanao’s power mix is more than 60 percent hyrdropower and is largely dependent on Lake Lanao and Pulangi River in Bukidnon as its main sources.

Low water levels in both Lake Lanao and Pulangi River have brought the power generation deficiency to as much as 750 megawatts for Mindanao.

Mindanao’s power generation deficiency was at 464MW as of yesterday which National Power Corp. officials said is because it is nearing weekend and the demand for power is expected to get lower.