DOE approves 3 power plants

Manila Standard Today
By Dexter A. See | Aug. 11, 2014 at 12:01am

LAGAWE, Ifugao—The Department of Energy has approved the application of SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP) to operate in this province three hydro-power plants that will produce a total 350 megawatts of electricity, a senior company official said on Sunday.

SNAP Vice President Mike Hosillos said the agency has approved its service contract to operate a 240-megawatt plant with storage facility for irrigation and two separate 10-megawatt and 100-megawatt plants.

“The facilities will be developed under a subsidiary, SNAP-Ifugao, which will handle the implementation and subsequent operation of the renewable energy project,” Hosillos said.

The Aboitiz Group also operates the Magat, Ambuklao and Binga Hydropower plants and the additional plants will make it the biggest producer of renewable source of energy in the country. When all its plants are fully operational, their combined output of 500 megawatts will comprise half of national renewable energy requirement.

But the company will still need the favorable endorsement of the native tribes before it can start building its plants. Provincial officials have started consultation meetings with tribal leaders.

Gov Dennis Habawel said the company must get the consent of indigenous people and the cultural communities, who will be affected by the various projects in the affected areas.

“In the pre-development stage of the project, they must get the consent of the indigenous people and get their suggestions, observations and recommendations before the project could get underway,” Habawel said.

He has made his own consultation with other communities hosting similar operations and the province has been documenting their best practices so it can be replicated in the new renewable energy plants.

“All negotiations, consultations and agreements will be done with utmost transparency to avoid doubts that we are railroading the project. We want everybody to involved to participate in the consultations, especially those directly affected by the hydro power plants,” Habawel said.

The plants will generate jobs in the area and the community will benefit from the social impact projects such as farm-to-market roads, infrastructure build-up and share of taxes paid by the company. source