Written by Madelaine B. Miraflor Reporter Published on 31 January 2013
Lucio Co-owned Union Energy and renewable energy developer Sta. Clara Power Corp. said on Friday that they are forming a partnership for eight mini hydropower projects in Oriental Mindoro costing P1.9 billion.
Sta. Clara, which is chaired by Nicandro Linao, together with Union Energy and local government officials, will hold today the groundbreaking ceremonies for the P1.9-billion mini hydro project.
He said that the project intends to address the growing power needs of Oriental Mindoro and its nearby areas.
”The provinces of Mindoro has been relying on the National Power Corp. Strategic Power Utilities Group for its power requirement and has not been spared of its own power shortages. Needless to say, it resulted in huge losses for businesses. We aim to address this concerns by putting up the Catuiran Hydro Project,” Linao added.
The project site is approximately 30 kilometers southwest of Calapan City. It could be reached through a national road that is accessible through a dirt road.
The facility is an 8-megawatt (MW) capacity run-of-river project that will be located in the southern side of the river.
The power plant will be up and running by middle of 2016.
”We are supporting the government’s call to put up green energy sources under the Renewable Energy Law. We expect to start construction within the year,” Asisclo Gonzaga, Sta. Clara Power president, said.
”With the growing concern on the environment, it has been proven that mini-hydropower has the least adverse effect on the environment thereby making it the most socially acceptable energy source,” he added.
Sta. Clara Power currently owns and operates the 1.2-MW Loboc Mini Hydropower Plant located in Bohol, and has a 45-percent stake in the Amlan Mini Hydro in Negros Occidental.
The company is also a partner of Vivant for the administration of the 70-MW Bakun Hydroelectric Power Plant. Its other projects include the 9-MW Cantakoy Mini Hydro Project in Bohol and Tinoc Mini Hydro projects.
Sta. Clara Power has upcoming projects in Mindanao and Luzon.
Meanwhile, Union Energy Corp., led by Puregold owner Lucio Co, recently poured in P1 billion in investments for a 9.9-MW rice husk biomass power plant in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
Union Energy said in an earlier statement that the project would be the first biomass project to be launched since the issuance of the feed-in-tariff rates in July this year.
The planned facility, which will be using rice husk as feedstock, will be established by Union Energy and about 20 rice millers in Nueva Ecija through a joint venture called San Jose I Power Corp. source
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