Hydropower plant project gets environmental certification

Friday, September 16, 2011


THE Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) is one of the permits required to construct hydropower plants, said Hedcor vice president Gregorio Jabonillo.


The regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) granted the proposed 13.6 megawatts (MW) Tudaya Hydropower Project its ECC last August 26.


The ECC certifies that the project complied with its requirement and has committed to implement its Environmental Management Plan (EMP).


The EMP signifies the general conditions of ECC in which Hedcor regularly conducts series of tree planting activities to its host communities that contributes to the protection of riverbank and for the preservation of watershed.


Hedcor, a wholly owned subsidiary of AboitizPower specializing in run-of river hydropower development and operation, is developing the project. This is an addition to the existing 42.5 MW Sibulan hydropower system located at Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur that was inaugurated by President Benigno Aquino III in September 2010.


At present, the project is on its last stage of securing permits then the construction will soon commence. The exploration of Tudaya Hydropower Project started in 2010.


In early 2011, Hedcor engineers started the design of Tudaya 1 in Barangay Sibulan and Tudaya 2 in Barangay Astorga.


Hedcor is committed to promote Cleanergy, AboitizPower's brand of clean and renewable energy, and will continue to look for more rivers to develop for run-of-river hydropower generation. To date, Hedcor has 18 run-of-river hydropower plants in the country with a total capacity of 150 MW.


Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on September 17, 2011.