• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A hydropower project, straddling Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental, is being proposed to “provide dedicated and reliable renewable energy supply and envisions lower electricity cost” for Negros consumers.
The Bago 3 Hydropower Project, with investment cost of P4 billion, is proposed by Alsons Energy Development Corporation (AEDC) of Alsons Power Group (APG) “to explore and develop potential run-of-river hydropower projects in Negros Occidental.”
As per the project’s description, which underwent a public hearing March 25 for its Environmental Compliance Certificate application, the proposed hydropower plant will be located in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, and Barangay Pandanon in the municipality of Don Salvador Benedicto, with total area of 75,337 square meters.
“Half of the diversion weir is shared with Barangay Pandanon because, at that location, the Bago River is the political boundary of the two barangays of the two municipalities,” the briefer states, adding the project will have an installed capacity of 34.8 megawatts.
“The AEDC and its affiliates in the APG are committed to continue contributing to the growth in Visayas and Mindanao by providing power generation to help spur and sustain economic growth, employing best practices to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations that benefit these regions, and working with the community for sustainable development,” it added.
Project construction will take 30 months, with the plant designed to have an economic lifespan of least 50 years, the proponent said in its Environmental Impact Statement.
The APG is a pioneer in the private power generation business, tracing its roots to the Mindanao region.
“Our current portfolio consists of four power facilities with an aggregate capacity of 468MW, serving over eight million people in 14 cities and 11 provinces in Mindanao,” the company said on its website.
The Siguil hydroelectric power plant at the Siguil River basin in the municipality of Maasim, Sarangani province, is the APG’s first foray into the renewable energy sphere, it added. | CGC
