SMC unit, K-Water start P1-B rehabilitation of Angat Dam

Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star) | Updated November 9, 2016 - 12:00am
http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/11/09/1641771/smc-unit-k-water-start-p1-b-rehabilitation-angat-dam

NORZAGARAY, BULACAN, Philippines – Angat Hydropower Corp. (AHC), co-owned by SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. of the San Miguel Group and Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water), has commenced the P1-billion Angat Dam rehabilitation project to improve the stability of the facility especially during natural calamities such as stronger earthquakes.

In a briefing yesterday, AHC president and CEO Geung Jeon Han said the company has tapped Hanjin Heavy Industries, Korea’s shipbuilding giant, as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

“AHC is implementing the Angat Dam strengthening project with signing (for the EPC contract) conducted on Nov. 2. The project is targeted to be completed in February 2018,” he said.

The signing of the EPC contract marks the start of the second phase of the Angat Dam rehabilitation project. which involves the strengthening of the facility’s main dam, main dike and secondary dike, the heightening of the main dam and the installation of new dam instruments for better monitoring.

Phase 1 of the project covers the pre-construction works including the conduct of survey and soil investigation, repair of access roads, installation of engineering facilities, among others.

The facility upgrade will provide more stability to the dam in the event of earthquakes with a higher magnitude, AHC dam operations engineer Russel Rigor said.

In his presentation, Geung said Angat Dam was able to withstand the earthquake that hit Luzon in 1990.

Indigenous communities that will be affected by the project will be relocated to a higher place. Last August, AHC signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Dumagat tribe to relocate 15 families and provision for their houses and livelihood programs.

While the project is being implemented, Rigor said Angat Dam would continue to generate power from its hydroelectric dam and supply potable water to Metro Manila.

A concrete water reservoir embankment hydroelectric dam, the 47-year-old Angat Dam supplies more than 90 percent of Metro Manila’s water requirements while its power plant generates 218 megawatts (MW).

A June 2015 study conducted by international engineering company Poyry showed Angat Dam may be at risk when a big earthquake takes place in Luzon, thereby affecting nearby communities in Bulacan and in Metro Manila.

“The rehabilitation is very important because it will ease the fears and concerns of our fellowmen especially those living in Bulacan of any tragedy that may happen if any earthquake occurs,” National Power Corp. (Napocor) president Gladys Sta. Rita said.