By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated December 13, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines -
The team-up of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Repower Energy Development
Corp. (REDC) have started works on the P2.7-billion hydropower project in
Bukidnon.
The partners recently
held a ground breaking ceremony for the 10.6-megawatt (MW) run-of-river
hydropower project in the Pulanai River.
Pure Meridian
Hydropower Corp. (PMHC), the joint venture company, will oversee and operate
the hydropower project.
“This will be
PMHC’s vanguard project in Mindanao and will serve as a platform to roll out
more run-of-river projects in the near future. This is a legacy project that we
are building for the benefit of the next generations to come.” PMHC president
and CEO Dexter Tiu said.
During its
construction phase, the project will employ more than 400 people.
The project, expected
to start commissioning by the first half of 2019, will generate millions of
pesos in revenues for the local government units as part of their share based
on the Renewable Energy Act.
The Pulanai project
is Meralco’s first foray in renewable energy and in run-of-river
mini-hydropower, manifesting its firm support for the development of the
renewable energy sector, PMHC chairman and Meralco senior vice president
Alfredo Panlilio said.
“We are also
glad to note that this initiative will provide the much needed additional
capacity in the Mindanao grid through a stable, clean and reliable energy
source,” he said.
For REDC, this is its
third mini-hydropower groundbreaking for the year, and its first in Mindanao.
The company has three
operational run-of-river hydropower plants in Laguna that will see its
capacities increase more than four-fold by next year.
Meralco and REDC
forged a partnership in December 2015 to build and develop mini-hydropower
plants using run-of-river resources.
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