Thursday, June 23, 2011

Regional Council Endorses Pulangi Project

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Infrastructure and Utilities Development Committee of the Regional Development Council 10 has favorably endorsed the 300-megawatt (MW) Pulangi V hydroelectric power project to the council for approval subject to some conditions.

"The proponent should update the project feasibility study to incorporate the revised financial and economic analysis of the project," said Jaime H. Pacampara, head secretariat of the Regional Development Council’s infrastructure committee.

"All the necessary clearances from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environment Management Bureau and National Water Resources Board should be secured by the proponent," he said.

Mr. Pacampara said the proponent should also secure endorsements from local government units, namely the provinces of Bukidnon and North Cotabato, and among others the municipality of Kibawe in Bukidnon and two of its barangays.

Pulangi V is located in the southern part of Bukidnon covering the municipalities of Kitaotao, Dangcagan, Kibawe and Damulog.
It is some 40 kilometers downstream of the existing Pulangi IV (255 MW) while its dam site would be located in the municipality of Pres. Roxas, North Cotabato.

The Pulangi V plant will have three units of 100 MW each.

It will involve the construction of river diversion facilities, dams, embankment and reservoir filling and commissioning.

A 20-km double-circuit 138-kilovolt transmission line would link it to an existing power substation in Kibawe.

Project proponent Greenergy Development Corp. revised project cost is P33 billion to be financed by still unidentified partners.

It is estimated to have a project timeline of 69 months from the award of construction contract to plant commissioning.

The Regional Development Council’s infrastructure committee, co-chaired by Ozamiz City Mayor Nova Princess E. Parojinog-Echavez and private sector representative Modesto C. Babaylan, found the project financially viable.

The project was originally proposed by the National Power Corp. (Napocor) in 1991 but had to repeatedly defer implementation of the project due to the power crisis and the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Napocor eventually gave up on the project in 2001 with the passage of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act Law.

In 2009, Greenergy initiated the revalidation of the feasibility study, prioritizing hydrology and water flow tests in coordination with the National Water Resources Board and National Irrigation Administration.

Greenergy is engaged in energy and power sector consultancy and founded in 2009 by Cerael C. Donggay, former vice-president for Mindanao of Napocor. -- Michael D. BaƱos

Posted on June 23, 2011 10:15:39 PM www.bworldonline.com