Suweco investing P9B in more mini-hydro plants

Sunwest Water and Electric Co. Inc. (Suweco), led by businessman Elizaldy S. Co, is preparing to invest about P9 billion in nine new mini-hydropower projects in Antique and Aklan, in a bid to help address the tight power supply situation in Panay.

In a statement, Suweco president Jose Silvestre Natividad said the hydropower projects, which could generate a total of 50 megawatts of power, included the 8-MW Villasiga 1; 9.4-MW Villasiga 2; 2-MW Guiamon San Ramon; 3-MW Dalanas; and 2.1-MW Tibiao hydropower projects, all in Antique.

In Aklan, the company’s projects include 15-MW Main Aklan River; 2.4-MW Upper Aklan West Tributary; 3-MW Lower East Aklan Tributary; and the 2.4-MW Middle West Tributary hydropower projects.

Natividad said the decision to put up these projects was in response to the government’s call for an increase in the supply of energy from renewable sources over the next 15 years.

The nine projects will bring Suweco’s power portfolio to a total of 59 projects at different stages of development. The 59 projects will have total capacity of about 280 MW within the next 10 years.

Of the nine new projects, Natividad said the Villasiga 1 hydropower project was in the most advance stage of development, as it was already about 85 percent completed. The Villasiga 1 project is expected to start generating power by June this year.

The P1.4-billion Villasiga 1 hydropower project, a run-of-river renewable energy type of power development in Barangay (village) Igsoro, Bugasong, Antique will use the main Paliuan River in generating power.

The eight other developments, according to Natividad, are targeted for completion over the next five years.

After Villasiga 1, Suweco plans to start the construction of the Guiamon San Ramon (2 MW), Main Aklan (15MW) and Villasiga 2 (9.4MW) hydropower projects within the second quarter this year.

The construction of Dalanas (3.0MW) and Tibiao (2.1 MW) is expected to start within the first quarter of 2014 while the Upper, Lower and Middle Aklan Tributaries are planned to start in 2015.

At present, Suweco is considered the leading purely renewable energy player in the country with several small-capacity plants dotting the renewable energy industry landscape. It is part of the Sunwest Group of Companies, a brainchild of Legazpi City-based entrepreneur and businessman Elizaldy S. Co.