SMC unit to expand Pangasinan hydropower plant capacity to 1,200 MW

By Lenie Lectura – October 22, 2018
from Business Mirror

STRATEGIC Power Development Corp. (SPDC), the independent power producer administrator (IPPA) of the 345-megawatt San Roque power plant in Pangasinan, wants to expand the power capacity of the hydro facility to 1,200 MW.

SPDC is a unit of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., the power business of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC).

“We have already planned this. After we pay PSALM [Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp.], we can now convert San Roque to pump hydro and produce 1,200MW,” SMC President Ramon S. Ang said.

On December 15, 2009, SPDC successfully bid for the appointment to be the IPPA for the San Roque power plant and received a notice of award on December 28, 2009. SPDC assumed administration of the power facility on January 26, 2010, in accordance with an IPPA agreement with PSALM.

SPDC is set to take over the 345-MW hydroelectric multipurpose power project  in 2024.

Ang encouraged investors to put up more renewable-energy projects.  “Filipinos should put up more pump hydro and battery storage. In some areas, you can put up wind and solar,” he added.

In August last year,  SPDC announced plans to build a 500-MW pumped storage hydro project in Tarlac province.

In May last year, the Department of Energy (DOE) approved three hydro-power projects of SMC. These are the 100-MW Nabuangan run-of-river hydro in Apayao, 500-MW Dingalan pumped storage hydroelectric plant in Aurora and the 400-MW San Roque Lower East Pumped Storage in Pangasinan.

Ang also intends to install battery-energy storage possibly in all of its power facilities. “The idea is to put as many as possible.”

Last July, Ang said the power business vows to “heavily” invest in the renewable-energy sector of up 10,000 MW. “We are going to heavily invest in hydro, wind, tidal and battery storage. We predict to invest up to 10,000MW in the next 10 years,” Ang said.