Monday, December 13, 2010

Energy plans to upgrade Agus hydropower plants

Manila Standard Today

by Alena Mae S. Flores

The government plans to rehabilitate the Agus-Pulangui hydropower projects in Mindanao at an estimated cost of P3 billion to increase their output by 100 to 200 megawatts.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras told reporters that Congress had decided to hold the privatization of the Agus-Pulangui hydro complex.

“The Energy Committee resolution states that it [Agus-Pulangui] is deferred until further notice. In the meantime, we need to rehabilitate and fix up what we can in Agus-Pulangui,” Almendras said.

He said the department had directed National Power Corp. to restore the system’s capacity to at least 700 MW.

The Agus complex is composed of six hydro plants with a capacity of more than 700 MW. Agus I is located in Marawi City, 80 MW; Agus II in Lanao del Sur, 180 MW; Agus IV in Lanao del Norte, 158.1 MW; and Agus V, 55 MW; Agus VI, 200 MW; and Agus VII, 54 MW in Iligan City.

The Pulangui IV hydro plant is in Maramag, Bukidnon and has a capacity of 255 MW.

“For the rehabilitation works that needed to bring up additional capacity for our hydropower facilities in Mindanao, it will cost around P2 billion to put in an additional of about 100 to 200 MW capacity, Napocor president Froilan Tampinco told reporters.

“If we would like to add or uprate some of the facilities, for instance, Pulangui which will include the cost for dredging, then we’re looking at spending about P3 billion,” he said.

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