Investors sought for 11 hydropower projects

PNOC Renewables Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of state-run Philippine National Oil Co., is seeking for private sector partners for its 11 hydropower projects, which can generate roughly 270 megawatts for the Luzon and Visayas grids.

According to PNOC-RC president Roger Buendia, the company wants to “encourage private investments” in these projects, which are all in the pre-development stage.

The renewable energy service contracts for these proposed hydropower projects, earlier estimated to cost over P25 billion in all, were awarded back in 2009.

PNOC-RC’s projects in Negros Oriental are the Pacuan-Guinoba in La Libertad, which is projected to generate some 33 MW in additional capacity for the island; Okoy in Valencia, 11 MW; Siaton in Siaton, 5.4 MW; and Sicopong in Sta. Catalina, 17.8 MW.

The company also has the Jalaur project in Calinog, Iloilo, which is expected to produce 11 MW of hydropower; and Dulangan in Baco, Oriental Mindoro, which would have an 18-MW capacity.

It has five more projects in Luzon namely, the Saltan-B in Balbalan, with a 24-MW capacity; Pasil-B in Pasil, 20 MW; and Pasil-C, 22 MW, all of which are located in Kalinga; the Natalang-B in Kabayan, Benguet, with an estimated 45-MW capacity; and Abuan in Ilagan, Isabela, 60 MW.

Buendia disclosed that the feasibility studies for most of these 11 hydropower projects are expected to be completed within the year.

“We expect to move to development stage with some of our projects by late next year. Note that the projects we have are on the frontier areas,” Buendia added.

PNOC-RC was put up to serve as the government’s vehicle for implementing renewable energy projects such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal.