P3B needed to rehabilitate Agus-Pulangi hydropower plant — Napocor

The National Power Corp. (Napocor) needs at least P3 billion to rehabilitate the Agus-Pulangi hydropower plants in Mindanao to increase their capacities by 100-200 megawatts (MW).

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras told reporters over the weekend that he has directed Napocor “to find a way to bring the hydropower plants back to their 700-MW capacities.”

“For the rehabilitation of our hydropower facilities in Mindanao, it will cost around P2 billion. If we would like to upgrade some of our facilities, then we’re looking at spending about P3 billion,” Napocor president Froilan Tampinco said.

Tampinco said funding for the projects would be sourced from the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), the government’s privatization arm in the power sector.

“Since these facilities are part of the major grid capacities, it will have to be sourced out through PSALM,” he said.

Mindanao experienced brownouts for as long as eight hours in some areas during the summer months due to the low-water level at its hydropower facilities.

Mindanao’s power generation mix is majority composed of hydropower facilities.

Almendras had earlier said that the Agus-Pulangi hydropower facilities must be exempted from the government’s privatization program.

He said the privatization of Agus-Pulangui hydropower complex shall be left to the discretion of PSALM in consultation with Congress.

Over the weekend, Almendras told reporters that Congress has decided to hold the privatization of the Agus-Pulangi hydropower complex. – JE/KBK, GMANews.TV