BCDA, John Hay to put up hydropower plant

State-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and subsidiary John Hay Management Corp. plan to put up a mini-hydropower plant that can generate about four megawatts in additional capacity, to serve the electricity requirements of its economic zone locators.

According to BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano D. Casanova, the proposed power facility will be put up on a four-hectare land in the John Hay Special Economic Zone (JHSEZ).

Although both the BCDA and John Hay Management have already agreed in principle to pursue the power project, they have yet to come up with the construction details.

Both parties believe that the mini-hydropower plant was a sound project that would help market the John Hay Special Economic Zone to companies keen on doing business in the north.

“Having our own power plant that can supply reliable and uninterrupted electricity will definitely increase the attractiveness of the John Hay Special Economic Zone to prospective investors,” Casanova said.

In the meantime, John Hay Management president and CEO Jamie Eloise M. Agbayani said the site where the mini-hydro plant would be built is in Camp 6 and Camp 7, which are about 20 minutes away from Baguio City.

Agbayani said the whole area had an old and abandoned mini-hydropower plant used by the Americans.

“When the Americans left Camp John Hay in 1991, the mini-hydropower plant was abandoned and had been cannibalized. They are now unserviceable,” Agbayani said.

The area, however, is a good location for a hydro power generation facility.

Agbayani said the BCDA and JHMC were jointly scouting for prospective investors to build the mini-hydropower plant.