Central Negros resort eyed for mini-hydro power plant

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - The famous Mambukal Resort in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia in central Negros is being eyed as site for a mini-hydro power plant. Lawyer Jose Ma. Valencia, the Capitol's chief of staff said, the power plant will be funded through a grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The project is estimated to cost about P9,980,000.00. This includes the resort's first falls and the boating lagoon area. Valencia said that as per study, the first falls in Mambukal can produce as much as 102 kilowatts (kW) of power while the boating lagoon is expected to generate about 42 kW. If realized, Mambukal would have a total of 144-kW independent power production, enough to supply the power needs of the entire mountain resort and even the adjacent localities, Valencia said. "This would also mean million of pesos in savings and income for the province," he added. This as Valencia said that based on initial computation, the province could save at least P1,105,120 in electrical bill and could also earn about P1,039,328 in excess energy to be supplied to the neighboring places in Mambukal. Aside from Mambukal, two more sites in the province are also being eyed to host additional mini-hydro plants. Barangay Hiyang-Hiyang in Cadiz City in northern Negros is one of those being targeted. The other one is somewhere in southern Negros, Valencia said. "What we are looking is simply a place with abundant water supply and not yet energized," he said. At present, Valencia said ADB, in partnership with the Japan Fund Poverty Reduction (JFPR), has already installed three mini-hydro power plants in northern Negros, which are now ready for operation. The three are located in sitio Balea, barangay Lagaan, Calatrava town; Sipaway island, San Carlos City and sitio Vergara-Magtuod, barangay Bug-ang in Toboso town. Residents in these areas could also avail of P5,000 loan per household, payable in staggered basis. Loan will be extended by ABD through the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation Inc. (NWTFI). Valencia, however, explained that mini-hydro power plants in Calatrava, San Carlos, Toboso and those being proposed in Mambukal, Hiyang-Hiyang and another one in the south, are totally different from the one being eyed in Bago City by Alto Corporation, and even those being planned in the Ilog-Hilabangan River in Kabankalan City and Binalbagan River in Binalbagan town. The one being eyed in Bago City is a macro-hydro power plant. He said that according to ADB, Negros has a lot of potential in terms of hydro power project, considering its seven large rivers. Plans to put up more mini and macro hydro plants in the province won't also be a hindrance to the soon-to-be implemented geothermal exploration of the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC) inside the Mt. Kanlaon buffer zone, Valencia clarified. "Instead, these will augment PNOC-EDC's geothermal power production aimed at ensuring a stable power supply in Negros Island come 2010." - Sun.Star