Aboitiz Power awarded exploration rights for two sites near Davao

According to Buisness World Online the Energy department awarded AboitizPower subsidiary AP Renewables, Inc. exploration rights to two areas of about 10,000 hectares each.

The same source details that they are between Mt. Talomo in Davao City and Tico, in North Cotabato. The other area is on the boundary of Davao City and Davao del Sur near a hydroelectric project operated by another AboitizPower company, Hedcor, Inc.

The company added that it will ensure adequate protection for the environment, particularly Mt. Apo which is near the project sites. “We are committed to use modern technology to ensure that our geothermal plant does not harm the health of the people and cause the least adverse effect to the environment and the community,” said Manuel M. Orig, AboitizPower first vice-president for Mindanao.

The company has not announced a timetable for the projects, but power projects usually run for four years. The company has been pushing for the implementation of the project to diversify its power portfolio.

The company added that at this stage it will be conducting “surface exploration,” adding that “there will be no construction of any kind.”

The company said Mindanao, which services half of its power requirements from government-owned hydroelectric plants in the Agus and Pulangi complexes, must be able to get a “right mix” of power sources to eliminate its vulnerability to power outages.

“There is a need to enable the people of Mindanao to benefit from the rich potential of its geothermal power resources,” it added.

The company’s renewable energy portfolio, based on its data, is at 1,191 MW, with its Tiwi-Makban geothermal complex generating nearly half at 467 MW.

Hydroelectric plants run by the government are largely old and have been showing their wear and tear, apart from being vulnerable to long dry spells.

Source: Business World Online