Aboitiz unit sees no viable hydro

resources in Visayas
By Ehda M. Dagooc | Updated March 20, 2009 - 12:00am

CEBU, Philippie! - "# $%oiti& Po'er (ydro )c. *"#$P+ pla! to i,e!t o hydropo'er or ay other
ree'a%le eergy !o-rce! ,et-re i the .i!aya!.
(o'e,er, the !carce re!o-rce! i .i!aya! hider the po!!i%ility /or the compay to p-t -p a /acility to
geerate po'er thro-gh hydro or 'ater.
"#$P pre!idet 0-i! Mig-el $%oiti& !aid that there are o ,ia%le pro!pect! /or hydropo'er re!o-rce!
i the .i!aya!.
"#$P i! a co!orti-m compo!ed o/ $%oiti& E1-ity .et-re! ad "# Po'er o/ #or'ay. 2he compay
,o'ed to loo3 /or more ree'a%le eergy !o-rce acro!! the co-try a! a alterati,e /rom e4pe!i,e
oil co!t ad traditioal /-el.
2he compay ho'e,er, !potted little re!o-rce! i Paay, %-t $%oiti& !aid the!e 'ill %e too e4pe!i,e
to tap. $t the pre!et !it-atio, it i! ot ,ia%le /or the compay to ma3e a gam%le ad i,e!t i the
Paay hydroelectricity potetial.
"# Po'er Co-try ad Pro5ect Director 6im 7ohae!!e 0ade !aid the #or'egia /irm8! thr-!t o'
i! to %id o hydropo'er plat! i the Philippie!, a! the compay8! core competece.
9reema * $rticle M:ec +, pagematch: 1, !ectiomatch:
) #or'ay /or i!tace, 90 percet o/ the co-try8! electricity i! geerated /rom hydropo'er plat!,
0ade !aid.
(e later added po!!i%le i,e!tmet! i geothermal ad 'id re!o-rce! are al!o i the pipelie. ;<e
may loo3 ito geothermal %-t o-r /oc-! right o' i! o hydroelectricity,= he !tre!!ed.
) #o,em%er 200>, "#$P 'o the %id /or the $m%-3lao-Biga hydroelectric po'er comple4. 2he
/acility co!i!t! o/ the >?-mega'att *M<+ $m%-3lao plat ad the 100-M< Biga plat, %oth i
Beg-et. 2he hydro comple4 ha! /-rther icrea!ed the gro-p8! attri%-ta%le capacity %y 1@ percet to
?>@ M<.
2he plat i! pre!etly %eig reha%ilitated to /-rther icrea!e capacity %y a%o-t A0 percet, !aid $%oiti&.
$%oiti& Po'er Corp.,*$P+ the p-%licly li!ted po'er geeratio ,et-re o/ the $%oiti& Bro-p, al!o hope!
to 'i i the %iddig /or the 192.?-M< Palipio geothermal plat o/ the #atioal Po'er Corp.
*#apocor+ i Crietal #egro!.
2he Palipio geothermal plat ha! t'o po'er !tatio! ad i! coected thro-gh a !-%marie ca%le
to the Ce%--#egro!-Paay-Bohol-0eyte-"amar grid. )t !-pplie! 1@ to 20 percet o/ po'er
re1-iremet! i the grid.
) a !eparate iter,ie' 'ith $P pre!idet Erramo a%oiti& he !aid that -le!! the Philippie
go,ermet 'ill !trogly implemet e//ecti,e iceti,e !trategie! to po'er prod-cer! i !ettig -p
plat! /or ree'a%le eergy, it i! !till -reali!tic to do !o %y thi! time.
D<e ha,e ot EyetF e5oyed the premi-m %ee/it! o/ ree'a%le eergy, ,er!-! traditioal !o-rce! o/
po'er,D !aid Erramo $%oiti&.
$ltho-gh there i! a !trog pre!!-re to adopt ree'a%le eergy, i the o!et o/ glo%al 'armig,
accordig to $%oiti& Dthe real importat thig a%o-t ree'a%le i! the compay !ho-ld 3o' ho' m-ch
it 'o-ld co!t them.D
:ecord !ho'!, that i 200G a%o-t 1@ percet o/ glo%al /ial eergy co!-mptio came /rom
ree'a%le, 'ith 1A percet comig /rom traditioal %ioma!!, li3e 'ood-%-rig.
(ydroelectricity 'a! the e4t large!t ree'a%le !o-rce, pro,idig three percet *1? percet o/ glo%al
electricity geeratio+, /ollo'ed %y !olar hot 'aterHheatig, 'hich cotri%-ted 1.A percet.
) Decem%er 200@, Pre!idet Bloria Macapagal $rroyo !iged ito la' the m-ch aticipated
:ee'a%le Eergy *:E+ Bill. D-%%ed a! the :ee'a%le Eergy $ct o/ 200@, it gi,e! iceti,e! to
i,e!tor! ad eergy prod-cer! to %-ild ree'a%le eergy po'er plat! i!tead o/ /o!!il /-el %a!ed
oe!.
<ith the Philippie po'er demad targeted to o,err- the co-tryI! po'er !-pply %y 2010, it 'o-ld %e
ideal to meetig the demad 'ith ree'a%le eergy.
Source: Philippine Star