PNOC eyes 4 hydro project sites

MANILA, Philippines - PNOC-Renewables Corp. (PNOC-RC), the renewable energy development arm of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co., is eyeing four new sites for  hydropower plant projects, company documents showed.

The sites include Northern Samar, Iloilo, Palawan and Mindanao.

Early last month, the company signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), steward and operator of the country’s irrigation systems, to put up and operate hydropower plants in irrigation systems.

The MOA will specifically involve the construction of hydro projects in six pilot sites in the province of Nueva Ecija. 

It was estimated that the six mini-hydropower plants will have a combined generation of 2.8 megawatts which will service 14,000 households with minimum electricity usage.

The agreement between PNOC-RC and NIA is being supported by  the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).

A separate memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed by Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla and Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala to express their commitment to assist the ongoing cooperation.

The head of the two government agencies said they believe this undertaking will contribute to the development and utilization of renewable energy resources, particularly hydroelectric energy.

They said it would also help in the enhancement of self-sufficiency in food staples and uplifting of the lives of Filipino farmers through improvement of irrigation infrastructure and facilities.

The DOE plans to generate some 150 MW in 200 sites nationwide through the construction of mini-hydropower plants before 2015.