Aboitiz wants hydro, geothermal projects under PPP scheme

by Myrna Velasco October 17, 2016

http://www.mb.com.ph/aboitiz-wants-hydro-geothermal-projects-under-ppp-scheme/

Aboitiz Power Corporation is recommending investment landscape changes for hydro and geothermal projects so these can be placed under public-private partnership (PPP) scheme.

The company said the government must come in as private sector ally to move projects forward, especially in cornering consents and permits of relevant stakeholders, including host communities.

Aboitiz Power President and Chief Operating Officer Antonio R. Moraza said this is particularly significant for hydropower and geothermal developments – given the extent of project approval processes that they would need before they can even proceed to development or construction phases of power facilities.

“Geothermal and impounding hydro should be under PPP…it’s too hard for private individuals to assemble 30, 40 or 50 communities to seek consent, government should really be involved there,” he said.

For instance, it has been taking too long to advance their Alimit hydropower project, a Aboitiz Power’s joint venture with Norwegian firm SN Power, because of the multitude of consents they would need to corner from host communities and relevant local government units.

“That will take a long, long time,” Moraza said when asked on the status of the project as well as on its updated implementation timeframe.

Over the weekend, SN Aboitiz Power, Inc. (SNAP) apprised media that it “underwent public hearings,” as part of the requirements for the Alimit project to secure environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The project sponsors said the planned facility will comprise of the 120-megawatt Alimit hydropower plant with the Alimit dam and reservoir; then the 20MW Olilicon hydro plant with the Ibulao weir, pond and diversion tunnel. The project sites will be stretching from the municipalities of Aguinaldo, Lagawe, Lamut to Mayoyao in Ifugao province.

SNAP Chief Operating Officer Joseph S. Yu noted that the company “learned a lot from the LGUs, communities and indigenous people groups over the course of the public hearings.”

He added that “SNAP values their inputs and we will factor these as we review the final design and mitigation plans for the project to minimize impact.”

The project developer firm is currently completing its feasibility study requirements as prescribed by the Department of Energy as well as their company’s shareholders.