| By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star) Updated March 28, 2011 12:00 AM |
RAMON, Isabela Philippines – The Ambuklao power plant, one of the country’s oldest hydro-dams, will be re-commissioned in July after being idle for nearly two decades as a result of the 1990 earthquake.
The SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), which acquired Ambuklao Dam’s power facility and the Binga Dam facility, both in Benguet, from the government for $325 million, said the Ambuklao power plant will start generating power within the next three months.
SNAP is a consortium of Norway’s SN Power, a joint venture of the state-run Statkraft and Norfund firms, and the Cebu-based Aboitiz Power group.
SNAP vice president for corporate communications Mike Hosillos said the Ambuklao Dam will not only be restored to its pre-1990 earthquake condition but its capacity will also be upgraded to generate power for the Luzon grid.
Hosillos said Ambuklao’s first and second power-generating units will start operating by July and the third unit by September for a maximum capacity of 120 megawatts (MW).
“We did not only rehabilitate the Ambuklao Dam but are also upgrading its capacity to generate power from 100 to 120 MW,” he said.
Located in Bokod, Benguet, the Ambuklao Dam had been a major source of power for the Luzon grid until the July 16, 1990 earthquake damaged its vital facilities and heavily silted its reservoir.
SNAP said it has also started upgrading the power turbines of the Binga Dam to increase its power-generating capacity to 100 megawatts to be completed by next year to complement the ever-increasing power demand of the Luzon grid.
The power-generation facility of Magat Dam along the Ifugao-Isabela boundary is also scheduled for upgrading this year from 360 MW to at least 500 MW with the addition of two more power turbines to the existing four.
SNAP acquired the Binga Dam’s power facility from the national government in 2008.
Magat Dam, the second largest power provider among hydro-dams in Luzon after Pangasinan’s San Roque Dam, is also the major source of irrigation for some 80,000 hectares of farmlands here and in parts of Cagayan and Quirino.
The SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), which acquired Ambuklao Dam’s power facility and the Binga Dam facility, both in Benguet, from the government for $325 million, said the Ambuklao power plant will start generating power within the next three months.
SNAP is a consortium of Norway’s SN Power, a joint venture of the state-run Statkraft and Norfund firms, and the Cebu-based Aboitiz Power group.
SNAP vice president for corporate communications Mike Hosillos said the Ambuklao Dam will not only be restored to its pre-1990 earthquake condition but its capacity will also be upgraded to generate power for the Luzon grid.
Hosillos said Ambuklao’s first and second power-generating units will start operating by July and the third unit by September for a maximum capacity of 120 megawatts (MW).
“We did not only rehabilitate the Ambuklao Dam but are also upgrading its capacity to generate power from 100 to 120 MW,” he said.
Located in Bokod, Benguet, the Ambuklao Dam had been a major source of power for the Luzon grid until the July 16, 1990 earthquake damaged its vital facilities and heavily silted its reservoir.
SNAP said it has also started upgrading the power turbines of the Binga Dam to increase its power-generating capacity to 100 megawatts to be completed by next year to complement the ever-increasing power demand of the Luzon grid.
The power-generation facility of Magat Dam along the Ifugao-Isabela boundary is also scheduled for upgrading this year from 360 MW to at least 500 MW with the addition of two more power turbines to the existing four.
SNAP acquired the Binga Dam’s power facility from the national government in 2008.
Magat Dam, the second largest power provider among hydro-dams in Luzon after Pangasinan’s San Roque Dam, is also the major source of irrigation for some 80,000 hectares of farmlands here and in parts of Cagayan and Quirino.
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