The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Repower Energy Development Corporation (REDC) kick-started the construction of the 10.6 megawatt (MW) hydropower project in Bukidnon.
The project marks Meralco’s entry to the renewable energy and run-of-river mini hydropower sector, Pure Meridian Hydropower Corp (PMHC) chairman and Meralco Senior Vice President Alfredo S. Panlilio said.
“We are also glad to note that this initiative will provide the much needed additional capacity in the Mindanao grid through a stable, clean and reliable energy source,” he said.
A ground breaking ceremony was held for the P2.7 billion run-of-river project in the Pulanai River in Bukidnon.
“This will be PMHC’s vanguard project in Mindanao and will serve as a platform to roll out more run of river projects in the near future. This is a legacy project that we are building for the benefit of the next generations to come,” PMHC president and CEO Dexter Y. Tiu said.
PMHC is the joint venture company that will overlook the Pulanai hydropower project.
The project is expected to begin commissioning by 2019 and is expected to generate millions of pesos in revenue for the local government as its share is based on the Renewable Energy Act.
For REDC, this would the third mini hydropower groundbreaking for 2016, its first in Mindanao.
It was December last year when the two companies inked a partnership to develop mini-hydropower plants with run-of-river resources.
*Photo from Shutterstock
