Pinatubo crater lake can be tapped for hydro energ

ANGELES CITY — There’s a cheaper and less dangerous way of draining water from Mt. Pinatubo’s crater lake, which can generate hydroelectric power too.

A group of foreign and local engineers and businessmen, in a press briefing here yesterday, said a simple siphoning mechanism, which will cost less than P2 million, can drain the lake at a rate of 2.5 to five million cubic meters of water a month.

Since the flow of water can be controlled, Swiss engineer Rolf Bachmann said hydroelectric energy can be generated to power lowland communities.

Besides, the lake water can irrigate agricultural land in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales, the group said.

About 100 Aeta workers are presently on the summit of Mt. Pinatubo to manually dig a canal at the lake’s lowest point, called the Maraunot notch, to allow a calculated flow of water.

Government experts decided on the move to drain the crater lake which has risen to perilous levels, threatening to flood communities in Botolan, Zambales, which face the Maraunot notch.

Under their proposal, Bachmann said 20 steel pipes, with a diameter of 20 inches each and welded together, will siphon water from the lake.

The pipes will have three valves to control the flow of water. The system can be positioned at any point of the crater rim, he said.

Initially, Bachmann said a portable power generator needs to be used to siphon the water, although later, the flow of water will solely be dependent on gravity.

Environmentalist Guy Hilbero, who has assisted government volcanologists in monitoring the crater lake level, said the proposal of the Environmental Protection of Asia Foundation has been brought to President Arroyo’s attention.

"We don’t intend to undertake the project, nor are we selling anything. We just want to present our new engineering measure not only to curb threats from the crater lake but also to tap the potentials of the lake for generating hydroelectric power or for irrigation," Hilbero said.