MANILA, Philippines - The team-up of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Repower Energy Development Corp. (REDC) have started works on the P2.7-billion hydropower project in Bukidnon.
The partners recently held a ground breaking ceremony for the 10.6-megawatt (MW) run-of-river hydropower project in the Pulanai River.
Pure Meridian Hydropower Corp. (PMHC), the joint venture company, will oversee and operate the hydropower project.
“This will be PMHC’s vanguard project in Mindanao and will serve as a platform to roll out more run-of-river projects in the near future. This is a legacy project that we are building for the benefit of the next generations to come.” PMHC president and CEO Dexter Tiu said.
During its construction phase, the project will employ more than 400 people.
The project, expected to start commissioning by the first half of 2019, will generate millions of pesos in revenues for the local government units as part of their share based on the Renewable Energy Act.
The Pulanai project is Meralco’s first foray in renewable energy and in run-of-river mini-hydropower, manifesting its firm support for the development of the renewable energy sector, PMHC chairman and Meralco senior vice president Alfredo Panlilio said.
“We are also glad to note that this initiative will provide the much needed additional capacity in the Mindanao grid through a stable, clean and reliable energy source,” he said.
For REDC, this is its third mini-hydropower groundbreaking for the year, and its first in Mindanao.
The company has three operational run-of-river hydropower plants in Laguna that will see its capacities increase more than four-fold by next year.
Meralco and REDC forged a partnership in December 2015 to build and develop mini-hydropower plants using run-of-river resources.