Suweco eyes gov’t irrigation infra for mini-hydro plants

MANILA, Philippines - Sunwest Water and Electric Co. Inc., a renewable energy company, wants to utilize government’s irrigation infrastructure for its mini-hydropower plants.

In an interview, Suweco president Jose Silvestre Natividad said along this line, the company is pursuing a three-megawatt mini-hydropower project in La Suerte, Bohol.

Under the plan, the company would tap the existing irrigation facilities of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as source of power for its mini-hydro plant. “What we can do is to maximize the existing infrastructure facilities,” Natividad said.

For the Bohol project, Natividad said the company is awaiting Department of Energy (DOE) approval.

Based on the project profile, the three-megawatt Malinao-Bayongan mini-hydropower plant would help augment power supply in Bohol.

“The overall goal of the project is to generate reliable and affordable electricity through renewable energy source to support the development and improve the investments in the southeastern part of Bohol,” Suweco said.

Under the plan, the project will operate the three-megawatt power plant in Barangay La Suerte in the Municipality of Pilar, Bohol, harnessing the water passing through the Malinao Irrigation Canal leading to the Bayongan reservoir for hydropower generation.

Suweco had planned to start early 2013 and complete the project by end-2014 but the company is still awaiting Department of Energy approval.

The primary target market of the project is the franchise area of Bohol II Electric Cooperative Inc. covering 21 municipalities.

The total number of power subscribers in 2010 was recorded at 79,467, according to Suweco.

Natividad said the benefit of having mini hydro projects powered by irrigation facilities is that the maintenance of roads is assured. “In addition to this, the direct benefit will be felt by the farmers because the irrigation facilities are maintained and the cost of power will go down,” he said, noting that hydropower plants generally cost cheaper.

Suweco is part of the Sunwest Group of Companies, a brainchild of Legazpi-based entrepreneur and businessman Elizaldy S. Co.