No adverse impact seen from Agus-Pulangi rehab

The planned rehabilitation of generators at the state-owned Agus-Pulangi network of hydropower plants (HPP) in Mindanao would not adversely affect the environment and the livelihoods of surrounding communities, a government draft report showed.

In a 224-page Environmental and Social Impact Assessment preliminary report to be presented to the World Bank, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) said the impacts and risks identified were “small scale, localized and highly mitigable.”

Initially estimated to cost $300 million, the proposed rehabilitation of the Agus and Pulangi generators is included in the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex Rehabilitation Project to be financed by the World Bank.

The rehabilitation project is one of the infrastructure flagship projects that was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) committee on infrastructure under the power and energy sector to support the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

The project, planned to be carried out in two stages, covers the rehabilitation and uprating of seven power plant complexes accounting for a total of 932.1 megawatts of generating capacity.

Napocor remains the operator of these assets, although ownership has been transferred to the Power Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. pursuant to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

The first stage, dubbed Project 1, covers Agus 4, Agus 5, three generators of the five-unit Agus 6 and Agus 7, for an aggregate installed capacity of 486.1 MW.

Napocor said Project 1 is expected to be submitted for approval to the Neda Investment Coordination Committee within this quarter as well as to the World Bank board of executive directors in December.

If given the green light, Project 1 will start in January 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2025. Project 2 covers Agus 1, Agus 2 and Pulangi 4 for a total of 515 MW. It is slated for government and World Bank approvals one year after Project 1.

“Overall, the Agus HPP rehabilitation project will pose positive impacts on the environment and socioeconomic development in the areas of influence and the whole of Mindanao,” Napocor said. INQ