Written by James Konstantin Galvez Published on 04 August 2012
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will start the construction of two mini-hydropower plants on their main irrigation facilities in the provinces of Isabela and Ifugao to provide marginalized farming communities with cheaper power sources.
In a press conference, Antonio Nangel, administrator of National Irrigation Administrator (NIA), said that a preparatory survey team, headed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has started to conduct a feasibility study for the project.
“The study will help us determine how much we will need for the construction of each facility,” he said.
The NIA chief added that they hope to come up with the result in the next two months, and push through with the construction phase in the next six months. “These micro power plants will be the first of its kind in the country,” Nangel said. On Friday, NIA and JICA signed a memorandum of agreement for the implementation of the Mini-Hydropower Development Project in the Philippines, which aims to maximize the usage of water resources before reaching the farmlands.
Susumo Ito, JICA senior representative, said that the Japanese government has committed at least P500 million for the project. “The funding will depend on the result of the feasibility study, but we are ready to commit at least P500 million for the construction of the mini-hydroplants,” Ito said.
Ito also said that they will also bring the latest Japanese technology in turbine manufacturing, which can generate higher electricity despite its smaller size. “These mini-hydropower plants can be a potential power source that can add to the needed supply at lesser production cost,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nangel said that they hope to replicate the project in other parts of the country, noting that they have identified some 110 sites viable for such undertaking. Each of the mini-hydropower plant cost around P18 million to P20 million, much cheaper than the P82 million per megawatt requirement for bigger hydroelectric dams.
“Because of the latest technology, we can now construct this kind of facility at a cheaper and faster rate,” Nangel said. “We hope to complete all110 sites in two years time, especially with the support of the private sector,” he said, adding that they have received letters of intent from China, Korea and Japan for a possible public-private partnership. source
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