Manila: Around 158,000 households in Nueva Ecija are now benefitting from the 5-megawatt (MW) Dupinga run-of-river (ROR) hydro power plant in the municipality of Gabaldon.
According to Philippines News Agency, publicly-listed Alternergy Holdings Corporation (Alternergy) announced in a news release that this is the second hydro power plant under its operation that commenced commercial activities this year. This follows the commissioning of the 28MW Balsik Solar Power Plant in Hermosa, Bataan in early February.
Gerry Magbanua, the president of Alternergy, stated that the commissioning of these two power plants 'completes Alternergy's Triple Play portfolio of wind, solar, and hydro renewable resources.' The company also operates the 33-MW Bangui Bay Wind Farm in Ilocos Norte and the 54-MW Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal province. 'With hydro now online, our Triple Play strategy of diversifying revenues across complementary technologies is expected to boost Alternergy's asset base and share value to our investors,' Magbanua remarked.
Eduardo Martinez Miranda, the president of Alternergy Mini Hydro Holdings Corporation, noted the challenges faced in commencing operations of the Dupinga hydropower plant. 'It navigated through the impacts of various challenges from permitting to indigenous peoples engagements to climate-related events, pandemic and geopolitics,' he explained. 'Teamwork, perseverance, and patience held the Dupinga Project together to the finish line,' he added.
Miranda highlighted the engineering design and innovations used in the Dupinga Project to protect the environment, surrounding communities, and the facility itself. These innovations include the construction of a 3-kilometer concrete headrace and a 1-kilometer steel siphon system that follows the mountain's contours. 'With the completion of the Dupinga Project, we are looking at focusing resources on the other shovel-ready ROR project located in Kiangan, Ifugao,' Martinez said. 'This is another challenge, but we are looking forward to implementing the strategies, innovations, and lessons learned from our already completed project.'
