$27-million Hydropower Plant Set To Be Completed in Bukidnon

By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO

BUTUAN CITY – A $27-million hydropower pre-development project in Pulangi, Bukidnon province is set to be completed soon, officials said Wednesday.

The hydropower plant is part of the $900-million proposed 350-megawatt dam power development project in Pulangi river in Bukidnon.

If the project is fully utilized, residents in Mindanao may soon get a relief from the rotating brownouts, officials said.

Initially, the pre-development of the project is almost finished, said Engineer Cerael C. Donggay president of Greenergy Development Corp. (GDC), and overall manager of Pulangi 5 hydropower plant project.

"The project is seen to provide long-term renewable energy resources that would benefit all people of Mindanao," said Donggay.

Investors in these power projects are the Zhe Jiang Corp. of China and Applied Engineering Services based in the United States.

The Pulangi 5 hydro-electric power plant is also a joint project of GDC and First Bukidnon Electric Service Cooperative (Fibeco).

Pulangi River in Bukidnon province is a tributary of the Rio Grande of Mindanao. It has a length of 320 kms from its source in Barangay Kalabugao, in Impasug-ong town, Bukidnon, which is the longest river in Bukidnon.

According to Donggay, the power plant will provide much cheaper generation cost at only P4/kwh.

The Pulangi power development project will also benefits the village folk especially the indigenous people (IPs), providing them job opportunities, agricultural and livelihood training, and provision of free seedlings of rubber, coffee, abaca fruits and bamboo, Donggay said.

"The six-year power development project in the area will add livelihood to the villagers such as duck production and tourism-related job opportunities,” added Donggay.

*Published on Manila Bulleting Publishing, June 2, 2010, 4:53pm.