Aboitiz power project to energize Apayao villages

CALANASAN, Apayao  — A hydro-power project worth up to P3.5 million is seen to provide ample electricity to hundreds of residents of far-flung villages in Apayao province, electricity provider SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP Group) said last week.

The project is expected to generate electricity of less than 5 kilowatts that can be used in remote communities that need only a small amount of power.SNAP said it would undertake site investigations, conduct feasibility studies, and design, manufacture and install pico hydro projects in prospect areas.

It explained that once established and completed, the pico hydro project will address the demand for electricity among the villagers of Barangay Pina in Calanasan town in Apayao province where most of the communities rely on the power given by the neighboring province of Cagayan.  

 “Our Greenfield Development team has identified specific projects and watersheds which have good potential for hydro development. Through this, we hope to provide a model for other small but sustainable hydro projects,” SNAP Group president Emmanuel V. Rubio said in a statement.

SNAP owns and operates the 360-megawatt (MW) Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant (HEPP) located on the border of Isabela and Ifugao, and the 105-MW Ambuklao and 125-MW Binga HEPPs in Benguet province. It is a joint venture between SN Power of Norway and AboitizPower.

In line with this, officials of the SNAP Group and the De La Salle University’s Center for Micro-Hydro Technology for Rural Electrification (DLSU-CeMTRE) recently agreed to undertake studies for the establishment of the said project.

The project funding will be shared jointly by SNAP through its Corporate Social Responsibility program and DLSU.DLSU-CeMTRE aims to drive research and development on micro-hydro technologies in the country as well as provide assistance in manpower training.

“I hope between our partnership we will be able to create shared value not only for both of our institutions but for the communities we try to serve,” Bro. Ricardo P. Laguda, De La Salle University president said in a statement.