AboitizPower unit assures facilities OK vs disasters

By Lenie Lectura- November 22, 2017

https://businessmirror.com.ph/aboitizpower-unit-assures-facilities-ok-vs-disasters/

THE SN Aboitiz Power (Snap) Group told the Department of Energy (DOE) it has put in place a program to protect its power facilities against natural disasters. Nonetheless, it assured the agency that it will comply with a proposed policy that requires industry stakeholders to submit their respective resiliency plans.

“Snap-Magat Inc. and Snap-Benguet Inc. have ready and existing plans to protect their power assets, the nonpower components and the communities inhibiting the environs, including farmers-beneficiaries,” Snap Vice President Emmanuel Lopez said.

The Snap Group owns and operates the 380-megawatt (MW) Magat Hydro-Electric Power Plant (Hepp), the 105-MW Ambuklao HEPP and the 140-MW Binga Hepp.

“Once the DOE circular becomes effective, the Snap Group will submit the required resiliency-compliance plan for the Magat, Ambuklao and Binga HEPPs,” said Lopez, who is also the company’s chief technology officer.

The Snap group said it “supports the government’s aspiration for a comprehensive and integrated Energy Resiliency Plan” as embodied in the proposed department circular: “Adoption of Resiliency Planning and Program in the Energy Industry to Mitigate Adverse Effects Brought About by Disasters”.

The energy-resiliency policy is anchored on President Duterte’s directive to heighten disaster resilience.

Among others, the proposed policy seeks to strengthen the existing energy-infrastructure and systems, institutionalize the “build back better” principle, improve existing disaster-resilience operations and develop resiliency practices, systems and standards.

“With this policy, we are building with the industry players a structure on how to plan and address human-induced disasters that compromise existing power facilities,” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi earlier said.

Cusi added the policy will cement the DOE’s commitment to mainstream disaster risk reduction to increase the reliability of energy systems and reduce their vulnerability to disasters.

“We are fast-tracking the issuance and implementation of the energy-resiliency policy, as this would guide us, especially in rebuilding Marawi City,” Cusi said.