DOE pushes for further development of hydropower resources

October 15, 2021 | 00h00

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing for further development of hydropower resources to boost the country’s renewable energy supply.

“DOE welcomes further development of the country’s hydroelectric resources,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

This while the agency is pushing its program to make renewable energies an important part of the country’s energy mix.

His statement also comes after renewable energy company Matuno River Development Corp. (MRDC) announced that its eight megawatt (MW) hydropower plant in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, is on track to begin commercial operations in December.

“This site-specific resource supports the country’s transition to a cleaner and safer energy future,” Cusi said.

The project is located along the Matuno River, a tributary of the Magat Dam which has a large watershed of 590 square kilometers.

Once operational, the MRDC hydroelectric project is expected to power the grid while irrigating farmers in Nueva Vizcaya.

It will be connected to the Bayombong substation of the National Grid Corp. the Philippines, where its expected output of 8 MW will be used to increase Luzon’s power supply needs, especially with the unpredictable outages of older and less efficient coal-fired power plants.

MRDC said the plant was built using high-end European equipment from Global Hydro Energy GmbH in Austria.

It is a project company under Magis Energy Holdings Corp., a Philippine company established in 2019 to seek opportunities in the renewable energy sector, especially in underserved rural communities.

Besides the Matuno River hydroelectric project, Magis Energy also owns another hydroelectric project, Taft Hydro Energy Corp. with a 16 MW plant soon to be operated in eastern Samar.

“The company is very upbeat and optimistic in our green energy effort which, we are proud to say, challenges the limits of the current pandemic and its restrictions,” said Diaz.