PULANGI IV HYDROELECTRIC PLANT

The Pulangi IV Hydroelectric Power Plant, also known as the Pulangi Dam, is located on
the Pulangi River near Maramag in Bukidnon province on the island of Mindanao in the
Philippines. It uses two reservoirs, produced by damming the Pulangi River, to supply water to
a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plant; the power plant is capable of generating 255
megawatts (342,000 hp) of power. Construction began in 1982; the first two generators became
operational in December 1985, with the last generator being commissioned in 1986.
The upper (pondage) reservoir located at 7°47′11″N 125°1′25″E diverts water into a power channel
which parallels the river until it reaches the lower reservoir (surge pool) at 7°42′56″N 125°1′25″E,
7.5 km (5 mi) to the south. At the lower reservoir, water is fed to each of the three 85 MW
(114,000 hp) Francis turbine-generators via a penstock. The Pulangi IV power plant provides 23% of
the hydroelectric power generated on Mindanao.
Since operation, the reservoirs associated with the power plant have received an estimated
1,500,000 m3 (1,216 acre⋅ft) of sediment annually. Of the reservoir's combined
67,000,000 m3 (54,318 acre⋅ft) active capacity, 23,000,000 m3 (18,646 acre⋅ft) has been filled with silt.
The siltation rate was almost 1 meter annually and caused the dam's reservoir to work at 50%
capacity. The unexpected siltation threatens safe operation of the dams and power generation, in
addition to drastically shortening the predicted operational lifespan of the dam. At first, the minimum
and maximum water levels were raised and, in 2007, dredging work was performed around the head
work of the upper reservoir's head. Selective dredging in the upper reservoir began in 2010, and
continues as of 2011.

Hydropower has been the most widely-used renewable energy source of electricity for many
years, and as with any energy choice, it comes with various advantages and disadvantages.
Here are a few top ones to keep in mind:

Pros and cons of hydropower

Pros Of Hydropower Cons Of Hydropower

Renewable energy source
Pairs well with other renewables
Can meet peak electricity demand
Is inexpensive in the long run
Produced domestically
Can be used for irrigation
Some adverse environmental impact
Expensive up-front
Lack of available reservoirs
Facilities rely on local hydrology

On the pros side, hydropower is a clean and renewable energy source that pairs well with other
renewable energy technologies and, in some cases, can be used to meet peak electricity demand.
On the cons side, hydropower installations adversely impact the physical environment around
them, are often expensive to build, and limited places suitable for reservoirs and hydroelectric
plants remain.
Below, we'll explore these pros and cons in further detail.

Advantages of hydropower

1. Hydropower is inexpensive in the long run

While there are high upfront costs associated with hydropower, it is one of the most inexpensive
forms of renewable energy over time. Once the necessary infrastructure is constructed, there is
less maintenance required for upkeep than other forms of energy and improvements are being
made to improve how well hydropower performs.

2. Hydropower is produced domestically

Unlike fossil fuels and most available solar panels, Hydropower is entirely produced in the United
States. This is important because of the associated growth in jobs, and there is no need to rely
on importing items from other countries.

3. Hydropower can be used for irrigation

Outside of generating energy, hydropower facilities also have the important benefit of being able
to provide a source for irrigation for crops in surrounding areas. Especially in areas where rain is
scarce and droughts are common, hydropower reservoirs can be used as a clean and reliable
source of freshwater.

4. Hydropower is clean and renewable

Unlike traditional fossil fuel energy sources, using water to generate electricity doesn’t release
harmful pollutants into the air or water. While there are some environmental considerations that
come with building large hydropower facilities like dams and reservoirs, once operational,
hydropower plants themselves don’t require burning any fossil fuels.

Additionally, hydroelectric plants don’t use up water as they operate, making hydropower a
completely renewable electricity source. As the water cycle naturally runs, hydropower will always
be a viable way to generate electricity. Fossil fuels like coal and oil must be burned to generate
power and replenish very slowly, and as such are not a long-term energy solution.

5. Hydropower pairs well with other renewables

The majority of hydroelectric plants are storage or pumped storage facilities that store large
amounts of water in reservoirs, and will almost always have stored water to pull from to generate
power. Hydropower’s reliance on stored water in reservoirs means that it is generally a reliable
source of power in the sense that hydropower plants can be a stable source of supporting energy
for more intermittent energy sources like wind and solar. Wind power and solar energy rely on the
natural availability of wind and sunlight; just like an energy storage system, at times of low wind
or at night when the sun isn’t shining, hydropower provides electricity when solar and wind can’t,
making them more economical and practical sources of electricity.

6. Certain hydroelectric plant designs meet peak demand

A commonly cited drawback of many renewable energy sources (including wind and solar) is that
they are non-dispatchable energy sources. This means that they can’t be used to generate
electricity 24/7; instead, renewable sources like wind and solar rely on the wind to blow or the sun
to shine respectively. However, both storage hydropower and pumped storage hydropower
facilities have the ability to generate electricity on-demand (by releasing dammed water through
turbines), making many hydroelectric plants dispatchable resources. This allows
hydroelectricity plants to replace traditional dispatchable generation methods like coal and gas
peaker plants.

Disadvantages of hydropower

1. Hydropower plants can adversely affect surrounding environments

While hydropower is a renewable energy source, there are some critical environmental impacts
that come along with building hydroelectric plants to be aware of. Most importantly, storage
hydropower or pumped storage hydropower systems interrupt the natural flow of a river system.
This leads to disrupted animal migration paths, issues with water quality, and human or wildlife
displacement.

These negative environmental impacts of hydropower are typically lower with run-of-river, wave
energy, or tidal power setups, but the vast majority of current hydropower systems are storage or
pumped storage systems that block river flow.

2. Building hydropower facilities is expensive up-front

Many hydropower plants are large infrastructure projects that involve building dams, reservoirs,
and power-generating turbines. Requiring a significant monetary investment. While a large
hydropower facility can often provide low-cost electricity for 50 to 100 years after being built, the
upfront construction costs can be significant. This, combined with the fact that suitable places for
reservoirs are becoming rarer over time means that large-scale hydropower plant construction
costs may continue to rise.

3. Hydropower facilities rely on local hydrology

Hydropower is a reliable energy source, but it is still ultimately controlled by weather and
precipitation trends. Because most hydropower generation relies on river water, droughts that
cause lower water flow impact hydroelectric generation capacity. Month to month and year to
year, the amount of water available for hydropower systems can vary, thus electricity production
at a hydroelectric facility can also vary.

No matter how usable energy is generated from water, it is important to consider the various
factors that go into its use both good and bad. Hydropower, like any energy source, requires some
upfront costs and change in the local environment to construct necessary infrastructure, but is
also clean, renewable, and pairs well with other forms of energy.